THE hard work continues at Close House as it prepares its course to welcome the golfing elite.

While many improvements were made to the Lee Westwood Colt Course in recent months to persuade the European Tour selectors to choose the Tynedale resort as the venue for the 2017 British Masters, there is still plenty of work to do to ensure some of the world’s best professionals get the most out of their four-day visit next September.

Close House had been in negotiations with the European Tour for many months about Westwood, the attached tour pro at the resort since 2011, bringing the tournament up north, the biggest event to be held in the region since Slaley Hall welcomed the tour back in 2002.

They couldn’t help but be impressed with the enthusiasm and passion shown by representatives at Close House who have already poured countless amount of time, and money, into bringing the course up to the highest spec.

Already, 200 yards has been added to the course with five new tee boxes at the first, fifth, sixth, 17th and 18th holes.

The course will be completely remapped too with the fifth hole becoming the first for the tournament, and the sixth the second and so on until the fourth is played as the 18th.

The 14th hole has been modified, and the greens have been reshaped on the second hole and lifted on the 12th to create more pin positions.

Close House’s managing director Jonathan Lupton said: “You are talking lots of money just to create pin positions, but it is about creating the best playing experience for tour players when they arrive.

“We are also looking to create new bunkers on the second and next to the 11th green. Some of our members don’t always play off the tees as the course can be quite hard, but they are going to see a big difference with the aesthetics of the golf course.

“Graham Wylie has just bought an additional 25 acres of land which will allow us to put the hospitality and parking for the event, and it’s just to make sure that we can cater for such a top class tournament.

“I have been at Close House for eight years, firstly as professional then managing director, and in that time there has been constant development and investment in the golf, and it is such an achievement to attract such a prestigious event.”

The boxes Close House needed to tick were many, and representatives have held several meetings with European Tour members.

Meetings have been held about business development, golf course agronomy, course structure, logistics, and playability of the course.

Yet the Tynedale resort passed with flying colours, as their enthusiasm for the sport shone through.

Jonathan said: “Secretly, I don’t think we were high on the shortlist being so far north but I think Lee Westwood’s recommendations and the passion we had for the event bowled them over. Graham Wylie is extremely passionate about this region and the fact he can bring a tournament of this magnitude to the North-East is genuinely exciting and we know that it will be so well supported up here.

“We have been working towards acquiring the Masters for about a year now, and it’s just brilliant we can shout about it openly and set about trying to create the history of golf in the North-East.

“There’s a £3m prize fund so that should bring the best players to the region, and that is why we genuinely think it is amazing for everybody in the area.”

Since buying Close House 12 years ago, Graham Wylie, who made his millions through the formation of software giants Sage, has concentrated on developing golf.

And the creation of the championship Colt course in 2011 has pushed the resort to the forefront of golf in the region, as has the association with Westwood. The 10-time Ryder Cup player has fallen in love with the area and is now based in Newcastle, playing more regularly at Close House with members.