Welcome to UK-GolfGuide's page which contains feedback from site users who have played at Ramside Hall Hotel and Golf Club.

Whilst UK-GolfGuide.com attempts to turf out the more unhelpful or just plain daft contributions, some may slip through. If you have played the course or hold a different opinion to those of the contributors, feel free to use the Add your Comments icon to provide a broader spread of views. If you have a gripe with the club then take it up with them directly - please don't use this facility for airing grievances!.

If you have played this course and would like to add your comments then feel free to Add a Report.

Peter Hogan (England) 18/09/07

I played Ramside on Monday 17th September 2007. My overall impression is that it's a very visually atractive course with some fantastic views of the Durham countryside. The facilities are second to none, ample car parking, driving range & practice bunkers and putting green are excellent.

The fairways were in very good condition, however, the bunkers were bordering on disgraceful. There was no consistency in the depth of sand from one to the next, after the first 5mm of sand they were rock hard. The greens were disapointingly slow, the previous time I played here in 2005 the greens were quick.

I played in an Open, there was no starter nor was there a course warden. As a result the round took 4.75 hours, about an hour too long. This was poor organisation for visitors from all over the North East from a course that aspires to be a leading golf facility.

Whilst the catering facilities were excellent they were overpriced e.g. 2 bacon buns and 2 coffees £9.80 about £4.80 too much.

Would I go back? Yes of course I would hopefully to find less wind, more sand in the bunkers and faster greens.

Value for Money	4
Challenge	9
Off Course	10

Jack Murray (England) 19/04/07

Me and my dad, John Murray, played at Ramside and my dad has posted a review of our round. I am 9 and play off a handicap of 17 and love to play wherever and whenever I can. I didn't enjoy it at all. There were too many doglegs and quite a lot of ponds. I thought the greens were hard to putt on and the fairways were bare. When we got to the 12th we cut onto the 17th and missed out 5 holes because we were getting bored with all the doglegs. I disagree with Ray saying that there were not many dogleg holes 'cause all we seemed to play was one dogleg after another and I'm glad that we didn't play the 12th 13th 14th 15th and the 16th because we would still be there now on the 14th dogleg if it was which I think it would be and I would never play there again. Try Portpatrick if you want a really good course.

Value for Money	2
Challenge	2
Off Course	2

John Murray (England) 19/04/07

I posted a report after playing Ramside a couple of weeks ago and I have to say it's generated more emails to me than any other course I've commented on. Some have disagreed with my views, which of course is their right so to do, but the majority share my oplinion that this course is a disappointment and caters more for the 'corporate' golfer than the committed amateur. One correspondent, who tells me that he lives nearby, said he and his pals 'avoid this course like the plague' and the last time they visited they were following a group in buggies swigging lager as they played. Well, fortunately, the day I played I didn't come across such characters but I have to disagree with the comments posted by Ray Goldsmith recently. Ray chooses to be a member here (you pays your money, you takes your choice)so I'd expect him to defend his own course. But as someone who has played in excess of 25 different course across the UK in the last 12 months Ramside is right down there in the lower echelons. Perhaps, as Ray suggests, I did miss the feature holes by ducking 12 - 16, but I begrudge paying £20 for a few decent holes but have to endure the tedium and boredom of the others. Despite what Ray says there are too many dog-legs or 'bananas' (innovative term that)and the course lacks character. I've always reckoned that the acid test to define a good course is when 3 or 4 holes stick in your memory. At Ramside the only one I clearly recall is the 18th ( a shortish par 4, bunkers two thirds of the way down the left fairway, water to the right) and that's because we were nearly home and glad to be finished!!!. I do hope Ray continues to enjoy his rounds at Ramside - I'll spend my hard earned elsewhere.

Glenn Angus (England) 16/04/07

I played as part of a 2 ball on the 27th March 2007 and I have to say found the course to be both in excellent condition and a good challenge. Yes, the greens were very "sandy" but for the time of year we played they were in descent condition. The fairways were well maintained and the rough was long but fair. My 1 complaint would be the markings in between holes were not very clear and we got lost travelling between the 9th and the 19th. The course I thought was well designed and each hole played differently from the previous one and for the bargain price of £20 I was more than happy. I would love to return during the summer and see how the course plays then but I feel the green fee's are a little on the expensive side so may wait until November and see if the club puts on any more special offers. Great day out and a fantasic course. Well worth a visit!!

Value for Money	9
Challenge	8
Off Course	8

Ray Goldsmith (England) 09/04/07

As a member of the Ramside Hall Golf Club, I was surprised by the negative comments posted this week from a guest who played at Ramside recently. The "patchy" greens mentioned had been spiked & sanded in readiness for the new season & were looking good later in the week. As for barren fairways, he would have been unlucky to have found a bare lie on the fairway areas I hit on the same day? He comments on the course design & too many right hand doglegs. He would have found 5 doglegs on the holes he played & of those the 1st & 2nd are more banana like than dogleg. If he took on the 8th with it's dogleg & over the water,he's a brave man, as It's a test for many members. I,m sorry he didn't play 12 to 16, as he missed the stroke index one 14th (straight) & the 15th our par 3 feature hole over water which lives up to it's name of "Auld sneaky". Buggies incidentally were in use 2 days after your contributor played, so, unlucky he may have been? I do hope his comments on the course weren't flavoured by a baked potato & a flat battery!

Regards Ray

Value for Money	0
Challenge	7
Off Course	10

john murray (England) 03/04/07

Played Ramside recently with my son and I have to say we were really disappointed and have some issues with this course. Firstly, there were no buggies available because of the weather (it hadn't rained for days and the course was dry. We hired electric trolleys and my son's packed in on the 1st fairway and we had to have a replacement ferried out to us on a buggie !!!!. The course itself has lots of features but is somehow featureless and easily forgettable. I accept it's a fairly recently opened course but it's like playing on a vast field dotted with water and trees most of which are not yet mature. The Cathedral course (holes 19-27) was closed so we played the Princes and the Bishops. Lots of dog-leg right holes as though the course designer couldn't think what else to do. Not one hole really stood out. Lots of water features but positioned without making best use of them. The course wasn't in good condition - we've played on better maintained municiples to be honest. The greens were patchy and difficult to putt on. The fairways were patchy and barren in places. Some well positioned bunkers to catch wayward drives but how this course can claim to be one of the top ones in the area is beyond me. Not particularly cheap either. £20 green fee as a resident of the hotel which itself is comfortable but pricey (£8 for a filled baked potato). Anyway, by the 11th me and my son had had enough so we missed out the 12th-16th and made for home. Didn't visit the clubhouse but went for dinner in Durham instead. Wouldn't dream of playing here again and although I don't know the area I'm sure there are better course at better value in the vicinity. One to miss.

Value for Money	3
Challenge	4
Off Course	5