Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture Discussion Group => Topic started by: Duncan Cheslett on December 14, 2018, 11:05:16 PM
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(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4888/46269887932_afe1e7a1d5_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2duHgEu)
Sandilands isn't a household name and was never the most spectacular course but it had been there since 1904 and was a rare links course on the mid-English east coast.
I know of the place because the pro at Reddish Vale was previously the pro at Sandilands. He speaks of it with much affection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ySwSX5srIw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ySwSX5srIw)
The club was owned for many years by a local hotel and did good business from visitors. After the hotel went into administration in 2013 the club was bought by a local farmer. The hotel was bought separately and has since closed down.
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http://www.sandilandsgolfclub.co.uk/ (http://www.sandilandsgolfclub.co.uk/)
Duncan -
That is sad news and a real shame. I don't know that area of England at all. It looks to be relatively remote.
Any idea how many people live within 30-60 miles of the course?
DT
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http://www.sandilandsgolfclub.co.uk/ (http://www.sandilandsgolfclub.co.uk/)
Duncan -
That is sad news and a real shame. I don't know that area of England at all. It looks to be relatively remote.
Any idea how many people live within 30-60 miles of the course?
DT
It is very remote.
However, I was surprised to discover that the population in the immediate area of Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea is over 12,500. Within 30 minutes there are probably another 50,000 people, but another couple of golf courses, including Seacroft at Skegness.
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The problem with links courses are "Fish dont play golf" and the 20 minute to get there circle is often halved for population purposes. There is another real prominent one that may go and I guess there could be many more. It is all very well being a great course but you still need 500 regulars playing once a week.
UK'errs don't really drive more than 20 minutes away. 85% of your membership will come from inside that circle. Looking at the roads and how hard it is to get to Sandilands it would be hard to keep it going if the course was just average. It was a course I had never heard of, they had 180 members at the end.
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I’ve been past it a few times. One of the flattest looking sites I’ve ever seen with hardly any micro-contouring either.
Atb
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This is why you should never market by drone. The still photos from the ground look amazing.
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The problem with links courses are "Fish dont play golf" and the 20 minute to get there circle is often halved for population purposes. There is another real prominent one that may go and I guess there could be many more. It is all very well being a great course but you still need 500 regulars playing once a week.
UK'errs don't really drive more than 20 minutes away. 85% of your membership will come from inside that circle. Looking at the roads and how hard it is to get to Sandilands it would be hard to keep it going if the course was just average. It was a course I had never heard of, they had 180 members at the end.
And the problem faced by many rural courses is that sheep don't play golf! I've been looking the catchment of Cavendish and early conclusions are that around 40% of the membership travels over 20 minutes - many over 30 minutes.
A town of around 20,000 inhabitants has two golf clubs. That is almost certainly one too many! If we are to increase our membership by 100 (which is our aim) we need to spread our net beyond the town of Buxton.
That we already have a sizable number of members happy to drive past lesser golf courses to get to their club suggests that this is not an impossible task.
Happily the journey from all directions is a spectacular one through stunning scenery. I believe this is actually a selling point!