AS legend has it, if King George V had actually taken a few irons with him on his visit to the North-East 94 years ago there is every chance the region would have had its very own Royal Golf Club.

Instead, His Majesty opted for a sup of afternoon tea that day in 1910 when he sat down in the relaxing surroundings of Sunderland's Wearside clubhouse.

That meant the honour stayed away, although the historians on the Coxgreen fairways have not given up hope of finding a time when an English monarch takes to the first tee.

"The minutes from that time are all here and accounted for. King George V was definitely here enjoying a drink of tea," says captain Bill Petrie, sitting proudly with his very own cup of coffee in his hand. "Had he taken a shot then we would be now known as Royal Wearside. Wouldn't that have been nice?"

Quite what the King would have thought of the short par three, sitting appetisingly alongside the appealing banks of the River Wear, only he would know.

Not even regarded as the hardest hole on the course, the seventh smells of trouble. Two bunkers to the right of the green and one to the left; a ravine with a trickling stream providing a nice little attraction for wayward balls. "This is the signature hole of the course," says PGA professional Doug Brolls.

"It's built up a bit of a reputation over the years as being 'The Hidden Jewel' and quite rightly so. It's a lovely hole and it causes no end of problems.

"The amount of times I've seen golfers arrive back at the clubhouse after 18 holes still crying over their performance at the seventh is incredible."

There have been one or two hole-in-ones over the years. None more surprising than the most recent. Irene Taylor, who has just celebrated her 79th birthday, holds that particular record.

Not even club pro Brolls could match it with his nine iron from the tee. "The closest I've come on here is the ball rolling round the cup a few times, but that's it," he says, having just missed the green with his shot from the tee. "It's a tremendous achievement and one that will probably never be forgotten."

The course is sandwiched between the Washington Highway and the Sunderland to Chester-le-Street road. The busy A19 is not much further than a Brolls drive away, either. So it is hard to believe there is such a picturesque course concealed below the Penshaw Monument with so little noise pollution buzzing around. The old coal railway line from Sunderland to Durham runs down one side, while the banks of the River Wear are on the other.

It may not be the longest of courses, a par 71 6,094 yardage from the yellow tees is testament to that. Yet it still provides a tough test for even the most hardened golfer.

Those who have played there, but not for a while, will find it has changed somewhat.

The front nine still acts as the perimeter of the course, with the back nine providing the inner core. But there have been big changes in recent years and there are more on the way.

The bridge across the 385-yard par-four tenth has just been finished, adding a completely different focal point to the hole. But the club's committee likes to stress that the course has been made tougher, something they have been demanding.

More large bunkers - there are another dozen on their way - and an expensive drainage system has seen the greens treated. Now Wearside is more than capable of withstanding all variations in weather.

"Even if the course is covered in snow this club will still be open all year round," says chairman of greens Colin Moran. "There have been people out there when the fairways have had snow on. This club is open 12 months of the year and we're proud of that."

Formed in 1892, Wearside has always had a good name. Hosting a number of county events, the club have won the Durham Club Championship seven times - although the last of those was in 1957.

It has its honorary members too. "You know Richard Walker don't you?" says Brolls. "He's part of the England Elite squad and he should be a professional now. He's tried it before but it has not worked out for him. He's an exceptional player and I'm sure he's in the top three or four handicaps in Europe."

Club captain Petrie adds: "We made him an honorary member and that just reflects what he has achieved. He has been fantastic. He has won the Brabazon Trophy and a number of European Amateur events."

There are 600 members, half of those are full, and they are aiming to boost their 100-strong Junior membership and their ladies' numbers - making sure the 'ever busy' assistant secretary Karen Hicks is given even more work to do.

Under the expert tutelage of Lockerbie-born Brolls - runner-up in the 1987 Scottish Boys Championship and winner, with partner Barry Walker, of the Lombard Trophy in 1998 - there is every chance those youngsters who do join will have a bright future.

The affable Scot, who is known to have taken former Sunderland stars Kevin Phillips and Eric Roy around the Wearside greens, is in his 11th year as pro at the club.

The 33-year-old has his father, Jim, helping him out in his refurbished shop and he has ensured that the latest addition to the Brolls family, two-year-old Lewis, already has his own set of clubs.

And if the toddler keeps showing the appetite he currently has for swinging irons then there could be another Brolls on the circuit in 20 years' time. By that time the bookworms may even have come up with the evidence to turn Wearside into Royal Wearside.

* Wearside GC have a special offer on this summer for groups of four. A fourball Monday to Friday is priced £60, while offers for weekend play can also be discussed. Anyone interested can contact 0191 5344269.

Published: 07/06/2004