The Tees Valley

Jeremy Ellwood potters about along the famous north-east river for a couple of days, basing himself at Rockliffe Hall, one of England's finest golf hotels

- Jeremy Ellwood potters

I had been to Rockliffe Hall just once before and, in a world of increasingly hazy memories, can say with absolute certainty on this occasion that it was in 2009. How do I know for sure? Well, I’d enjoyed a hard-hat tour back then of the magnificent, soon-toopen hotel that I was to experience in all its splendour second time around 15 years later.

Mention Rockliffe Hall to knowledgeable UK golfers and they may well say, “Ah, isn’t that the longest course in Britain?” It does, indeed, stretch to nearly 7,900 yards off the tips, so the first sensible decision you must make is which tees to play from. Last time round I played at least some holes off the very backs, but the passage of time, coupled with soft conditions, meant such a notion would have been sheer folly on this visit. I retreated to the yellows.