The vision to create one of the premier golf courses in the southeast is gathering pace – Golf News

Basingstoke Golf Club has revealed plans for a June reopening, as the Hampshire venue begins its journey to reopen following a £15 million development project.

The club, which was first opened for play in 1907, moved to a new location in the village of Dummer in 2021 – acquiring the land that was the home of the Dummer Golf Club on the outskirts of the town – before the development of the new 18-hole tournament. The course started last year.

THE DOWNLAND COURSE

The former structure of the Dummer Golf Club has been completely redesigned by Weller Designs, with a new course defined by a series of exciting and consistent holes passing through fairways, with a number of strategically placed water hazards that add to the challenge.

While the club's full reopening is penciled in for September 2025, a soft opening of nine holes on the new course is expected to take place in late June, with the full 18 holes expected to be played by the end of the year.

OTHER INSTITUTIONS

To complement the stunning golf course, a state-of-the-art clubhouse will open in August before development begins on a new driving range – featuring the latest in teaching and ball tracking technology – as well as a short game area and large putting green. . Full training facilities are scheduled to open in early Fall 2025.

The idea is to create one of the south east's premier golf courses, taking established membership from the old club based at nearby Kempshott Park and building on the club's rich history to create a new legacy in Basingstoke.

The new facilities will enable Basingstoke to renew its membership and build for the future, while maintaining the values ​​and values ​​that have been the foundation of the club for over 100 years.

David Green, general manager at Basingstoke Golf Club, said: “This is one of the most exciting golf projects in the UK, and it is our desire to ensure that we develop one of the South East's premier member-focused golf clubs with quality facilities to match the investment.

“Basingstoke has always been regarded as one of the most established clubs in the region, but we feel that by investing more money we can take it to the next level and beyond.”

“This will provide existing members with a unique club that will not only have one of the best courses in the region – which will be highly played for all abilities – but will also include a number of practice and teaching facilities where they can experience the very best. their games and membership.

These training centers will also help attract new and younger players to the game.

WHEN WILL IT BE OPENED?

“Our grand opening scheduled for late June will be the start of a very exciting 18 months, and by opening our clubhouse later in the summer, the club will, I'm sure, have the sense of camaraderie enjoyed by all major clubs.

The clubhouse will be the perfect place to relax before and after the round – for members and their families – with a large bar area and comfortable changing rooms. At the same time, the suit will allow us to trade in areas we have never done before.”

Sustainability will play a key role in the development and completion of the regeneration in Basingstoke. Two water reservoirs will help fully irrigate the course, holding a combined 33,500 cubic meters of water.

In the meantime, the introduction of fescue grass and ryegrass will help with aging to keep the conservation work to a minimum.

NEW TYPES

Scott Roberts, course manager at Basingstoke Golf Club, said: “The reservoir we have at our two lakes is very important to the future of the club. To be sustainable, we must remove water from the site and reuse it to irrigate the golf course.

“In the meantime, our grass – a mix of fescue and rye in the main playing areas and creeper bent grass – will help meet the standards we expect while being able to cope with the traffic we will undoubtedly face.

We also included large areas of tall fescue to recreate the landscape as a backdrop to some of the holes. “

HISTORY OF BASINGSTOKE GOLF CLUB

Basingstoke Golf Club first opened in 1907. It was originally created as a nine-hole course before James Braid designed the full 18-hole layout in 1926 at Kempshott Park in the south-east corner of the town.

A parkland course, it can develop into the most popular member's club in the area, characterized by tree-lined fairways and subtle changes in elevation.

Over the years, the club would invest in several key projects, including the construction of a new, modern clubhouse and pro shop in the 1990s.

The club celebrated its centenary in 2007 before moving to new premises in Down Street in the nearby village of Dummer, acquiring land owned by Dummer Golf Club before work on a new development began in 2023.

Its landscaping – the work of Weller Designs – is set to be one of the most anticipated projects in the southeast, with state-of-the-art facilities, including a new clubhouse, driving range and practice areas, alongside the course.

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