One of the oldest parkland courses in the North East of England, Wearside is among a small number of golf clubs in Britain that start with a par 3 and finish with a par 5 travelling away from the clubhouse. Distances shown are off the white tees.
A tough opening long par 3. Most players will hit a five or six iron looking to avoid the bunkers on left and right. A good approach shot is required with the green sloping downwards left to right.
A tight par 4 with out of bounds that runs all down the right hand side that gives you a daunting tee shot early in the round. The fairway is generous but three bunkers are there to catch wayward shots — miss these and you are playing into one of the largest greens on the course.
From the tee you have a reward versus risk decision. The hole dog legs right and if you can carry your drive about 260 yards you can take it over the corner of the dog leg leaving you with a long shot into a very accessible green. The far right wind turbine in the distance is a good line to follow. Playing the hole conservatively can bring tree trouble into play on both sides of the fairway.
Again, out of bounds runs down the right hand side, with trees lining the left of the fairway and a strategically placed bunker on the right. You need to hit the fairway. Do this and you have a second shot to the largest and longest green on the course, which is protected by out of bounds right and behind, and three deep bunkers left.
A very daunting hole from start to finish. A good tee shot is aimed at the red farmhouse in the distance. Trees, a bunker and out of bounds guard the right of the small fairway and trees all the way, and a bunker for your second shot on the left. This new green slopes from left to right, with a large bunker and out of bounds behind and bunkers front right and front left — very demanding but very pretty with the River Wear running behind the green.
Another daunting tee shot. With trees everywhere you think — where is the fairway? Aim at the very picturesque Penshaw Monument and a decent strike finds it, sloping left to right. Your second shot is to the smallest green on the course, built into a hill sloping left to right toward the river and a 30ft drop on the right behind the seventh tee.
One of the best in the area. Water, water everywhere! Your tee shot must carry 130 yards over a valley and stream to the green protected by bunkers right and left, with grass mounding that makes it very difficult to get up and down. The club's signature hole, well known throughout the region — it appeared on Tyne Tees Television in a golfing programme.
It doglegs left to right with a fairway sloping in the same direction with strategically placed trees to catch the wayward tee shot and out of bounds along the right hand side. A well-placed tee shot will be aimed at the electricity pylon to the right of Penshaw Monument. Your second shot will almost certainly be from a hanging lie. The green is quite large, protected by bunkers right and left.
Trees line both sides of one of the tightest fairways on the course giving you a tough tee shot. The fairway runs uphill for 60% of the way so if you are not long enough you are faced with a blind second shot to a green protected by mounding on both sides, but clearly indicated by the large marker post behind the centre of the green.
