When a then 17-year-old Paul Holloway first won the Goswick Links Club Championship in 1983, woods were actually made of wood and wound balata golf balls were so susceptible to abrasion they often had to be replaced every few holes. It wasn’t hickory-shafted clubs and featheries. But it was definitely a different game back then.
Holloway, though, is still essentially the same player. Blending the latest technology with a wealth of experience navigating a windswept links course, he set himself apart over the weekend to reclaim the title. His 6-over-par 78 in an unrelenting gale on Saturday was just one of five scores in the 70s. He backed it up on a slightly less challenging Sunday with a 75 to best runner-upDavid Greenshields by three shots.
It’s been a long time coming. But Holloway never lost faith that he could lift the trophy once again.
“I joined the forces not long after I won back in 1983 and didn’t play much golf,” Holloway said. “Then the kids came along and family always comes first. So I was away from the game for about 25 years. When I started to play regularly again 10 years ago, I did feel that I could win this.I’m just glad that Dan decided to play in a Northumberland County competition instead.”
Holloway is referring to Daniel Bullen, who won the Goswick Club Championship an unprecedented five consecutive times through 2025. But due to a scheduling conflict, he was unable to compete this year.
Still, Holloway’s win was no easy feat. Odds are it was his gritty play on the back 9 in a fierce wind on Saturday that propelled him to victory.
“I went out in my chest size, 42, and came back in my waist size, 36,” he joked. “On the two front-9 par 5s, the 4th and the 6th, I hit driver-driver-7-iron. Mostly, I was just trying to keep it straight. If you do that on this course, you will be rewarded. I also hit a couple of shots coming in that were basically bump-and-runs from 130 years out. It was the only way to have any kind of control of the ball.”
On Sunday, Holloway credits steady play off the tee and a dialed-in short game for keeping him out in front.
“The greens were absolutely immaculate,” he said. “If you hit your line, the ball went into the hole. I sometimes think we don’t fully appreciate just how lucky we are to play this course with these greens every week. The greenkeeping team deserves so much credit.”
The other winners over the weekend would likely echo those sentiments. Graeme Stubbs captured the Category 2 title with 82-79-161 to best Morris McGonigle by seven shots. Richard Warner pipped William O'Hara in a sudden death playoff to claim the Category 3 crown. Both shot matching 177s over the 36 holes. And Ami Ewan pulled away with an 82 on Sunday to take the Ladies gross title with a 172 total.
Meanwhile, Spencer McCulloch — a member of Goswick’s greenkeeping team — aced the par-3 15th hole on Sunday. That stroke of brilliance helped him post a second-round 74 to climb to 4th place in Category 2.
Congrats to all of the members who braved the tough conditions and competed. It was a great weekend for Goswick!