Neil Smith has been appointed as the new course manager at luxury Northumberland golf resort Slaley Hall. Smith, 44, will bring a wealth of experience to his new role, having previously spent 14 years on the greenkeeping staff at The Belfry Hotel & Resort, and the last six years as golf courses and estates manager at Oulton Hall near Leeds.
Slaley Hall head of golf, Jonny Mould, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Neil to the team; he brings invaluable experience with him gained from his time at The Belfry and our group’s Oulton Hall. Neil will be responsible for anything and everything that happens on a 36-hole golf course from drainage and bunker construction to grass maintenance.”
Smith, who will lead a team of nine greenkeepers at Slaley Hall, said: “I’m thrilled to join Slaley Hall as its new course manager and am looking forward to working closely with Jonny and the team as we put our ambitious plans to work. We have two stunning championship courses with unrivalled views to maintain – I’m very excited for the changes and challenge ahead.”
Managed by RBH, Slaley Hall is set in 1,000 acres of Northumberland moorland and forest and boast a four-star hotel and two championship courses – the 7,000-yard Hunting Course, which was designed by Dave Thomas, and the Neil Coles-designed Priestman – which have played host to numerous European Tour and European Senior Tour events.