[Ben Stephens]

I have just heard news that Park Hill Golf Club near Loughborough in the East Midlands has suddenly closed and a number of members having just paid their annual/three year subscriptions. Apparently Leicester City Football Club have bought it off the owner and are planning to build a Training Complex and Academy for around £80m.


Leicester City FC were initially looking at Forest Hill Golf Course near Botcheston as it was up for sale for around £1.5m but were put off by a £12m covenant by Leicester City Council mayor.



A few years ago AFC Bournemouth bought 57 acres of Canford Magna Golf Course to enable them to build a training complex.


All these courses were built on farmland in the early 1990's and it seems to me that it will become a trend as golf courses are a private leisure and recreation area which makes it easier to achieve planning permission as a change of use is more difficult.


Leicester City FC have said that they will keep a few holes of the current Park Hill course for players to play on.

[Chris Roselle]

Newcastle United actually have a club named after them not far from St. James Park.  West Brom is right down the road from Sandwell Park GC.  Clubs like Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, West Ham and the clubs from Manchester are in urban areas so probably no worry there.

[JESII]

Here in the Philadelphia area, about 5 years ago, LuLu Golf Club was apparently very close to a deal with a local University (Arcadia) to become their athletic complex.


The members held out for a buyer that would retain the golf course...and found one. Fortunately for me...

[Tony_Muldoon]

A dozen or more years ago I played a 9 holer in Sunbury on Thames.  It was nothing special


Chelski FC acquired it for a traknbg ground, but planning for a grandstand was rejected. I believe it’s now housing.

[Ben Stephens]

http://www.thegolfbusiness.co.uk/2018/02/golf-courses-are-being-turned-into-premier-league-clubs-training-grounds/


https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leicester-citys-new-training-ground-1141817


https://www.lcfc.com/news/656588/public-consultation-over-plans-for-new-training-facility-takes-place-this-saturday/press-release

[Mark_Rowlinson]

We are supposed to have more golf courses than we need, so if the odd one disappears I don't suppose it matters very much.

[Garland Bayley]

So are they training with "foot golf"?
😁

[Ben Stephens]

We are supposed to have more golf courses than we need, so if the odd one disappears I don't suppose it matters very much.

I agree - the R&A report regarding number of golf courses we need in the late 1980's and early 1990's was a bit over the top and produced a number of poor quality golf courses. There should have been more quality courses than quantity plus more focus on shorter courses to encourage people to take up the game with baby steps rather than one huge step onto a 'long' course.


Both Park Hill and Canford Magna opened in the early 1990's. Park Hill actually hosted a number of county golf events and I have never been to it having been to the majority of courses in Leicestershire and Rutland.


In Leicestershire alone three courses have closed over the last 5 or so years - Oadby and Western Park were council owned golf courses. Humberstone Heights is now the only one in Leicester. Park Hill now closed and Scraptoft now under threat by housing (a new course was proposed in nearby Houghton on the Hill by Ken Moodie)


Garland - LOL footgolf - who knows it might actually help Leicester City footballers to kick the ball more accurately.

[MJohnson]

Newcastle United actually have a club named after them not far from St. James Park.  West Brom is right down the road from Sandwell Park GC.  Clubs like Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, West Ham and the clubs from Manchester are in urban areas so probably no worry there.

Sandwell Park is not exactly flat as it is in Sandwell Valley, so not ideal but money is not a problem in football at the moment. The Albion though, are likely to be relegated this year, meaning that they will not have much cash for such a project.

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