retiredmartin

September 2024. Rotherham.

One of the many joys of a new Beer Guide is the impetus it gives you to explore a town like Rotherham, a town many Sheffielders have probably explored unless they’re heading to CAMRA’s national winter beer festival.

Having visited scruffy Kimberworth and neat Broom for new ticks, I now find myself travelling out to a vast expanse of greenery between M1 and M18 housing Sitwell Park Golf Club.

You’ll recall that Rotherham (well, Lindrick) actually hosted a Ryder Cup in 1957, but this looks the top course.

I just searched my giant spreadsheet and found five (5) past GBG entries with “Golf” in the title over 30 years of ticking;

Not sure about those last two, and the Clubhouse at Gullane is one to add. I guess you’d expect the 19th hole to be able to support a cask or two with trade popping in all through the day, but whether they’d open up to non-players is another matter.

Sitwell Park is best explored on a glorious day in the UK’s Indian Summer,

so unfortunately you’ve missed that. I’ve just taken Simon there under menacing skies matching the mood of a wake we gatecrashed, but a week ago it was rather a quieter Thursday,

and I feared for the condition of the local cask (just under a fiver, ouch !).

Unlike the soft toy grabbers of the Homestead, not much to entertain you inside,

but the outside seating has a glorious vista which stretches endlessly,

and as I enjoy an impeccably presented Chantry (NBSS 4, honest),

I muse that the puritan work ethic espoused by Kemi Badenoch last night must have its merits, but sitting outside in the sun with a gorgeous pint is better. Sorry, Kemi.