[Tony_Muldoon]

The September issue of a free paper called Golfnews has a one page feature giving an update of the current situation, but not unfortunately oft any plans for the future of the course.  Architects are currently looking at the Clubhouse, which bizarrely Darwin included in a list of great ones.

In August the Fabes family sold the club to the Altonwood Group who currently own The Woldingham, Westerham, Surrey National and Godstone.  Part of the attraction is to offer members free entry to these other courses!

At present the club has just 160 full members and both the article and the website hint that special membership deals are on offer if you care to contact the club.

The Chairman of the Group is Ron Noades.  Hopefully someone else can fill in more details of his career as a football club owner.

[Tony_Muldoon]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ron Noades is a British businessman.

In his time, he has been a director of Wimbledon Football Club and, from 1981-1998, was chairman of Crystal Palace Football Club, leading them through their brightest period, which included promotion to the old First Division (1989), an FA Cup final (1990), a third-placed finish in the First Division (1991), and a win in the Zenith Data Systems Cup (also 1991).

In 1998, Noades sold his interest in Palace to computer tycoon Mark Goldberg, for a fee of £22,000,000 (although Noades actually lent Goldberg £5,000,000 of this, as he could not afford it). The fee included the club, but not Selhurst Park Stadium, Palace's home ground.

However, with the deal complete, Goldberg's financers withdrew their interest, and he found himself in debt to Noades. The club went through a subsequent administration, which lasted until 2000.

After leaving Palace, he became chairman and manager of Brentford Football Club, from 1998, taking the side to Division Two as Division Three champions. He ended both roles in 2000, despite keeping the club in Division Two.

Today, he still owns Selhurst Park Stadium (along with several golf courses in the south-east of England including Surrey National).

[Noel Freeman]

I know several Addington members and there was a fear that Noades would turn the place into a society or public golf haven and soften it.  From what I'm told he is supposedly going to keep the ethos of the place and not do that.. But I think the members are still very concerned he will change it. He wants to make money and to do that invites changes..

[Ed Tilley]

How on earth can a course of the quality of The Addington, 13 miles from the centre of London, only have 160 members? The fees are £2,050 a year which is not extortionate given the location. Does anyone know how much the joining fee is - is that putting people off?

Sounds like Mr Noades has bought a sleeping giant. A word of warning to Addington members - as chairman of Crystal Palace he was very unpopular, but (or because) the club made money.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Ed I think that earlier in the summer the club were asking for about a grand upfront.  I'm guessing that this is currently negotiable.

This could be a sign of the times. If he can attract more members then it could close the doors and get back some of the elite club mystique, then its future would be assured.

However in today’s market it's an especially tough club to sell. Although it's close to London it's not easily accessible. Can't see it appealing to an older membership of 24 + handicappers. Can he attract a young crowd of low handicappers? Well they're the people every club covets.

Finger's crossed.

[Jon Earl]

Why only 160 members? Well, The Addington has some pretty stiff competiton in the area. To name just 4 old-style courses within 20 minutes drive there is Croham Hurst (Braid & Hawtree), Shirley Park (Simpson & Fowler), Tandridge (Colt) and Purely Downs (JH Taylor). These courses may not demonstrate the architectural qualities of Addington (although Tandridge is pretty close) but the joining fees and dues are half the cost and the off-course facilities are, frankly, better. There are also a number of fairly good semi-private, public courses within the area as well.

I am a life-long Crystal Palace fan and also a member at a Noades course (Woldingham). My opinion of him is mixed. He will spend money where he needs to in order to improve facilities but he is also a shrewd business man (he must laugh to himself everyday that he sold Palace for £22m and still kept ownership of the ground). He has spent a lot of money at the Woldingham improving the condition of the bunkers and tee-boxes and also on the redesign of the 10th which was a very bad hole.

There is  no way he would have bought the Addington if he did not think he could make any money. How he is going to do this without changing the essence of the club is unclear to me so your fears may be well-founded. I would guess his initial focus will be on the Clubhouse. I am playing there in 2 weeks (we get a free round) so I will report back if anything has changed (on and off the course).

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I remember Stoke Poges when it was a private golf club.  It was a great value green fee, the condition of the course was adequate, the pro's shop was a wooden hut, and there was more of Colt's course intact than there is now.....

[Tony_Muldoon]

Welcome to the group Jon, GCA gains another member from one of the great areas for Golf, Surrey.

Hopefully we can meet when the GCA world tour of Heathland courses recommences.  Last stop New Zealand.

PS My commiserations for suffering from such a debilitating affliction as the Palace.  If it’s been lifelong, then it’s fair to say, it certainly is terminal.

[Jon Earl]

Tony

Many thanks for your commiserations and welcome. I have been to do the doctor but there is nothing he can prescribe. I approach being a Palace fan the same as I do my golf. Start with low expectations and be pleasantly surprised when things go well.

[SPDB]

The Addington sounds like a pretty good deal. For those in the know, where would you join around London, assuming money is not too much of an object?

[Mark_Rowlinson]

SPDB,  It all rather depends on what kind of fellow members you are going to spend your time with.  Woking, for instance, still has a large legal fraternity.  At Sunningdale very substantial side bets are expected.  Walton Heath still has many connections with the press.  Some clubs are predominantly Jewish.  

Personally, I think I should feel uncomfortable at an opulent club such as Wentworth or Stoke Park.  I should quite fancy New Zealand, which keeps a very low profile and, I suspect, is rarely closed to members because of corporate events or the like.  If you like heather and can't afford Walton Heath look no further than Hankley Common.  I drove past Royal Ashdown on Saturday - it isn't far from London and is a ravishing course.  I am very fond also of Crowborough Beacon, only a few miles from RAF and the view from the clubhouse balcony is one of the greatest in UK golf.  I should not object to a membership at Beaconsfield, a nice Colt course with one of every kind of hole.  Sandy Lodge is on a very well-drained piece of golfing turf with nice topography, friendly members and, crucially, excellent winter golf.  

[Mark Pearce]

SPDB,  It all rather depends on what kind of fellow members you are going to spend your time with.  Woking, for instance, still has a large legal fraternity.  At Sunningdale very substantial side bets are expected.  Walton Heath still has many connections with the press.  Some clubs are predominantly Jewish.  

Personally, I think I should feel uncomfortable at an opulent club such as Wentworth or Stoke Park.  I should quite fancy New Zealand, which keeps a very low profile and, I suspect, is rarely closed to members because of corporate events or the like.  If you like heather and can't afford Walton Heath look no further than Hankley Common.  I drove past Royal Ashdown on Saturday - it isn't far from London and is a ravishing course.  I am very fond also of Crowborough Beacon, only a few miles from RAF and the view from the clubhouse balcony is one of the greatest in UK golf.  I should not object to a membership at Beaconsfield, a nice Colt course with one of every kind of hole.  Sandy Lodge is on a very well-drained piece of golfing turf with nice topography, friendly members and, crucially, excellent winter golf.  

I don't know Hankley Common or Crowborough but know Sandy Lodge and Beaconsfield well and would agree with both of those.  Is the Berkshire too far out, since you've mentioned Wentworth and Sunningdale, in which case Swinley Forest is also worth a mention?  How about Berkhampstead?  I was always fond of Denham when I lived down South, too.

[SPDB]

Thanks for the advice, guys.

Sean (and others) - do you know what the membership policies are at Swinley Forest and Berkshire, among others?

[Mark Pearce]

Swinley's pretty exclusive (in a good way) you'd need to know members to have a hope of getting in.  The Berkshire has, I believe, a substantial waiting list.  Again, I think you'll need to know members to have any real chance of getting in.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I can't see anyone getting into any of the old clubs without knowing quite a number of members.  They would want to be assured that you fitted into the club ethos.  But, if you trawl around the websites (of those clubs which have web sites) there is often a section on how to join.  Of course, if you are a low single-figure player most of the clubs would be pleased to by-pass the waiting list.  I can't see that being of any interest to anyone at Swinley Forest, however.

[Mark Pearce]

Sandy Lodge might be a possibility?

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I doubt there would be much opportunity at Sandy Lodge.  You' like West Hill.  No, it isn't the Addington, but there are some very lovely holes.  I like the atmosphere there.

[Jon Earl]

Myself and 2 fellow members from Woldingham had the pleasure of playing The Addington yesterday using our free round voucher. It was a perfect English autumnal day and the course was in condition to match. Despite some heavy rain the week before the greens were quick and the fairways had some decent run on them. Some heroic and some not-so-heroic golf was played, nobody played to handicap but we all walked off the course with big smiles on our faces. What a course. What more is there to say.

On the membership front, there is a special membership offer whereby they are waiving the joining fee and only asking for the annual subscription of £2050. This is a bit of bargain. If only I could get 'she how must be obeyed' to share my opinion! I also get the impression that if you can pay the subs you will get in if you have a up-to-date handicap. No need to go before the dreaded membership committee.

The refurbishment of the Clubhouse has started and there is a promise to spend money to on the course. The only tiny criticism of the course condition I could have would be that a  few of the tee-boxes were a little ragged and weedy.

Ho hum, back to the boring (in comparison) home course this weekend.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Jon put the radio on. Noades suddenly has £12,000,000 to invest in the Addington!

If you fancy a twilight round there one evening next summer you know who to call.  It's really something special.

[Jon Earl]

Another nice bit of business for Big Ron.Where next for the Donald Trump of South London?

Next Summer seems a long way away. The thought of twilight golf will keep me going.

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