If you've ever Googled "is golf gay-friendly?" you've probably found two kinds of pieces. One says the sport is wonderful and everyone is welcome. The other says it's still stuck in 1985. The truth — at least in the North East of England in 2026 — sits comfortably between the two, and it depends a lot on which course you walk into.
What's actually changed
Quite a lot, quietly. England Golf has run inclusion programmes for several years. England Golf publishes guidance for clubs on welcoming LGBTQ+ members. The R&A has openly gay touring pros for the first time. Several Open and Solheim Cup players have come out without it being the story. Most clubhouses no longer have men-only bars. Dress codes, almost everywhere, have stopped being a battleground.
On a Saturday morning at most courses in the North East, no one will care who you are. You'll be greeted by a starter, sent off when your tee time arrives, and judged — mildly, lovingly — only on your tempo.
What hasn't changed
Walking into a clubhouse for the first time is still a vibe check. Old-school members' clubs can feel like an Edwardian living room. The casual heterosexual small talk — "wife not let you out today?" — hasn't been retired everywhere. If you happen to be a woman, a young person, a person of colour, visibly queer, or some combination of all four, you still do a quick scan of the room that straight men don't have to do. That's not unique to golf, but golf is one of the sports it shows up in most clearly.
Why a group like ours helps
Most gay, lesbian and bisexual golfers we know don't want a separatist scene. They like their home clubs. They have great straight friends to play with. They just also want a corner of golf where the cognitive load is zero. Where they can post "anyone fancy 9 at Eden after work?" and not wonder whether they'll need to be a translated version of themselves for the next two hours.
That's the whole point of Out on the Fairway. It isn't a campaign. It's a chat thread that turns into rounds of golf — across Newcastle, Durham, Northumberland and beyond. Most members keep their existing clubs and just dip into our group when they fancy a game with people who feel like their people.
If you're nervous about starting
- Driving ranges first. No tee time, no membership, no pressure. Eden Golf Centre in Newcastle is welcoming and cheap.
- Pay-and-play courses next. Newcastle United Golf Club on the Town Moor is hard to beat for a relaxed first 18.
- Post in the group when ready. Someone in your part of the region will offer to play.
Worth saying
You don't owe anyone a coming-out moment to play golf. Out on the Fairway exists so the question never has to come up — but it's also a friendly place if you want to talk about it. Either way: come and have a game.