The Niggle Podcast

It’s been a long wait, hasn’t it? But professional golf at the highest level is finally about to kick start in Europe and it’s a course in the North East of England that will be the star. The British Masters will beam out across the continent, showcasing the charms of Close House in a tournament hosted by the club’s attached tour professional Lee Westwood. It was last here in 2017, when Rory McIlroy lit up the weekend but Paul Dunne’s fabulous closing 61 gave him the trophy. A lot has happened since then and it’s a very different world that will welcome the Tour’s finest this month. But while Close House, and the Colt course, will shine in the global spotlight – this is also a golf club, one that’s had to suffer the trials of coronavirus and lockdown like any other. So as the Newcastle venue gets ready to take centre stage, we talked to managing director Jonathan Lupton about the difficulties of the last few months, the excitement about kicking off a disrupted season, and the joys of having a tour legend