England Golf's championship director James Crampton hails Seaton Carew as "magnificent" and "immaculate" as prestigious tournament comes to North East

Together with Hartlepool Golf Club, Seaton is set to break new golfing ground as the North East welcomes the prestigious English Amateur, which has been won by the likes of Nick Faldo and Tommy Fleetwood in the past, for the first time.

It is an especially momentous occasion for Seaton, Durham and North Yorkshire's first ever golf club, as it celebrates its 150th anniversary.

Founded in 1874 by Scotsman Dr Duncan McCuaig and subsequently redesigned by Dr Alister MacKenzie, who went on to design the world-famous Augusta National, and Frank Pennink, who had a hand in the likes of Royal St George's and Woburn, Seaton is one of the UK's most picturesque and diverse links championship courses.

Almost 300 of the best amateur golfers have descended on the North East in a bid to lift one of golf's most sought after prizes, with two days of stroke play reducing the field to 64 men and 32 women before the four relentless days of match play decide the winners.

The coming of the English Amateur has been years in the making with course manager Tom Coulson, who began his career just down the road at Cleveland Golf Club, and his team working round the clock to ensure Seaton is in pristine condition.

For Crampton, himself a top amateur golfer who was crowned European Senior Amateur champion in 2022, both Seaton's superb links layout and its rich and proud golfing history makes it the perfect location to host this year's championship.

"We choose our championship venues three years in advance," he said.

"Seaton are celebrating their 150th anniversary, which tied in quite nicely with the fact that it's England Golf's centenary.

"The venues that we've gone to this year have a lot of history and there's a bit of a celebratory feel.

"There's also a link with Hartlepool through Chris Pascal, a past England Golf president, who is a member at Hartlepool.

"There are some nice links and we're delighted to be here - the fact that they've arranged the weather forecast for the coming days so nicely is even better."

Crampton, who has played in the Senior British Open, feels the unique format of the tournament, which consists of two days of stroke play followed by four days of match play, provides these amateur stars with a perfect platform to progress as professionals.

As well as Fleetwood and Faldo, Paul Casey and Danny Willett, another two past winners, as well as Matt Fitzpatrick, who was runner-up in 2013, have all found fame on the PGA Tour and have starred for Europe in the Ryder Cup while the likes of Guy Wolstenhome and Gerald Micklem took on the US in the Walker Cup.

Crampton said: "Your main principles over the first two days are to qualify, so you've got to play the golf course accordingly and not be too overly aggressive while putting two decent scores together.

"The match play stage requires a bit of a different mindset and a bit more aggression. Here at Seaton Carew, we might move a few of the tees forward to make a handful of the holes driveable, or at least so that temptation is there.

"Looking at some of the names who have won this event in the past, it's clear that it provides that grounding to go on and excel, maybe in the professional game."

Crampton, a self-confessed Parkland course fan, couldn't help but admire Seaton's "immaculate" condition, with the pristine links course as picturesque as it is punishing, with the trademark 17th commanding competitors' awe and attention.

"It is immaculate, it really is," he said.

"This is really quite special in terms of how it's been presented, the guys have done a great job here.

"It looks even better when the sun is shining.

"We have had some very good golf courses - next year, it'll be played at Royal Liverpool - and we've held it at Woburn and Wentworth, and this is right up there with them."