# Build houses on golf courses - especially in Surrey?



## Biggleswade Blue (Oct 7, 2014)

Seems to be Vince Cable's latest idea to solve the housing crisis.  No mention of how people will afford all these houses, or who will have the skills to physically build them.  I am in the construction industry, but have no idea why politicians of all parties seem so set on "build houses" to solve all ills.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/gr...to-solve-housing-crisis-says-Vince-Cable.html


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## Doon frae Troon (Oct 7, 2014)

Too many golf courses, not enough houses.
It is a natural fit.

May I suggest they start with Laleham:smirk:


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## chrisd (Oct 7, 2014)

If they did it at Lydd I would think it would be a great improvement!


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## richart (Oct 7, 2014)

chrisd said:



			If they did it at Lydd I would think it would be a great improvement!
		
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 Just as long as they are not thinking of slipping over the border into Hampshire. NIMBY


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## macca64 (Oct 7, 2014)

Happening to a 18 hole just down the road from me soon,


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## PIng (Oct 7, 2014)

macca64 said:



			Happening to a 18 hole just down the road from me soon,
		
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Same here.


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## Imurg (Oct 7, 2014)

Doon frae Troon said:



			Too many golf courses, not enough houses.:
		
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Or too many golf courses, not enough high speed rail lines depending on where you are.......


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## Foxholer (Oct 7, 2014)

Doon frae Troon said:



			Too many golf courses, not enough houses.
It is a natural fit.

May I suggest they start with Laleham:smirk:
		
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A little harsh! I'd rate Laleham a little better than Broome Manor and there's very few medium level courses in the area. But there's plenty of potential for 'proper' housing on the entrance area and nearby. Rather liable to flooding though!

Bracknell Forest BC has already taken his idea up by obscenely reneging on an agreement over Blue Mountains!


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## gripitripit (Oct 7, 2014)

Happened at Cambridge Golf club in Longstanton. Course now overgrown and no sign of houses.


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## c1973 (Oct 7, 2014)

I used to think Vince Cable was one of the 'better' Lib Dems, over the last couple of years he's kinda slipped down in my estimations to 'disappointing'. Now he's quite firmly in the 'absolute fud' category.

Being in government has not been kind to the Lib Dems tbf.


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## Doon frae Troon (Oct 7, 2014)

c1973 said:



			I used to think Vince Cable was one of the 'better' Lib Dems, over the last couple of years he's kinda slipped down in my estimations to 'disappointing'. Now he's quite firmly in the 'absolute fud' category.

Being in government has not been kind to the Lib Dems tbf.
		
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With a rating of 6% they are yesterdays men, Clegg's ego cost them big time.
Come 2015 I think the SNP may have more seats in Westminster than the Lib/Dems.


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## chrisd (Oct 7, 2014)

c1973 said:



			Being in government has not been kind to the Lib Dems tbf.
		
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I think that they are the new Raving Looney Party


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## Old Skier (Oct 7, 2014)

c1973 said:



			I used to think Vince Cable was one of the 'better' Lib Dems, over the last couple of years he's kinda slipped down in my estimations to 'disappointing'. Now he's quite firmly in the 'absolute fud' category.
		
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Old style Labour politician, couldn't rise in the ranks so jumped ship. Another one just in it for himself.


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## Foxholer (Oct 7, 2014)

I also know of a Golf Club that has had planning applications for several houses on its 'spare' land turned down.

I expect the investment company that owns it would be quite happy to turn the lot into housing. Â£10-12k per acre suddenly becomes Â£1M/acre!


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## JustOne (Oct 7, 2014)

Biggleswade Blue said:



			Seems to be Vince Cable's latest idea to solve the housing crisis.
		
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Stupid idea, just knock down a few estates and build HIGHER.

Where 10 houses used to stand you could get at least 60 flats.


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## 6inchcup (Oct 7, 2014)

JustOne said:



			Stupid idea, just knock down a few estates and build HIGHER.

Where 10 houses used to stand you could get at least 60 flats.
		
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and we all could start wearing flares and big platform shoes,what we need to build are cheap affordable housing for first time buyers,how many 2 bed starter homes could be built on a golf course,price of land is astronomical so companies owning courses will be rubbing their hands,and if what everyones says that less people are playing that means we need fewer courses win win.


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## chrisd (Oct 8, 2014)

Funnily enough, we are in the process of selling our course for development and are currently searching for the ideal acreage to develop our new course. It will, I think happen in the next 10 years


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## delc (Oct 8, 2014)

Courses in South-East England that I know to be under threat of redevelopment for housing or HS2:

Blue Mountain in Bracknell, Basingstoke Golf Club, Ruislip Golf Course, Uxbridge Golf Course, Bearwood Golf Course in Reading (already closed I believe). A lot of these are council owned pay and play courses where newcomers to the game might start playing, so rather worrying for the future of golf! :angry:


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## patricks148 (Oct 8, 2014)

Doon frae Troon said:



			With a rating of 6% they are yesterdays men, Clegg's ego cost them big time.
Come 2015 I think the SNP may have more seats in Westminster than the Lib/Dems.
		
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that will be the case up here come the next GE. we have 4 Lib MPs one being the ginger rodent, he will def not get re elected


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## JustOne (Oct 8, 2014)

6inchcup said:



			and we all could start wearing flares and big platform shoes,
		
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Sorry I don't understand that reference 

ONE house locally was recently knocked down, 15 properties were built in it's footprint. 5 x houses, 10 x flats, perfect if you ask me.


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## guest100718 (Oct 8, 2014)

JustOne said:



			Sorry I don't understand that reference 

ONE house locally was recently knocked down, 15 properties were built in it's footprint. 5 x houses, 10 x flats, perfect if you ask me.
		
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I beleive he is suggesting high rise flats were not really the success that they had hoped when they were built in the 60 and 70s.


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## delc (Oct 8, 2014)

guest100718 said:



			I beleive he is suggesting high rise flats were not really the success that they had hoped when they were built in the 60 and 70s.
		
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If you go to other European countries, people seem quite happy to live in high rise apartment blocks, and this makes better use of land than lots of tiny two bedroom rabbit hutch starter homes! However these apartment blocks seem to be much better constructed than the cheap rubbish thrown up in the UK in the 1960's, much of which has already had to be demolished! Beware politicians making promises about new housing!


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## dufferman (Oct 8, 2014)

delc said:



			Courses in South-East England that I know to be under threat of redevelopment for housing or HS2:

Blue Mountain in Bracknell, Basingstoke Golf Club, Ruislip Golf Course, Uxbridge Golf Course, Bearwood Golf Course in Reading (already closed I believe). A lot of these are council owned pay and play courses where newcomers to the game might start playing, so rather worrying for the future of golf! :angry:
		
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To be fair - Uxbridge GC is already on a loss since it lost 5 holes to gas works which, according to rumour, the contractor went bust after digging the 5 holes up and doing the work, so the holes were never re-made.

They apparently only have 30 members of which more than 50% are 'away'.

So I'm not surprised that it's going to close. It is also on a road where the houses are worth Â£1million+ (The Drive) so it would be a prime bit of land to extend the road!!

I played Ruislip a few weeks ago too. Not the best condition of course (naff greens, dodgy fairways etc) but still a challenge. They've put money into the course recently, maybe trying to avoid a housing development. 

Both Uxbridge & Ruislip run by Hillingdon Council. So if they do decide to close, not a lot anyone can do!


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## Doon frae Troon (Oct 8, 2014)

The provision of golf courses by councils is no longer high on the agenda, lots of private pay and play courses available now.
Many private golf clubs will also accept new members with the only priority being the ability to pay the subs.


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## delc (Oct 8, 2014)

If you allow golf courses to become run down, a lot of players will leave to join clubs with better courses. This almost seems to be council policy for muni courses around here, so they can then make a killing by selling the land for development. Bet this doesn't happen in Scotland! :angry:


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## HomerJSimpson (Oct 8, 2014)

Though Bearwood got bought by Reading FC for their training ground rather than housing (although they could probably get plenty on there as well).


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## Doon frae Troon (Oct 8, 2014)

delc said:



			If you allow golf courses to become run down, a lot of players will leave to join clubs with better courses. This almost seems to be council policy for muni courses around here, so they can then make a killing by selling the land for development. Bet this doesn't happen in Scotland! :angry:
		
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Land is cheap in Scotland, one thing we have lots of.

I think many Scottish Munis will close over the next decade.
Too many courses , not enough golfers.

I heard the other day that one of the big East Lothian courses was in trouble.


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## Old Skier (Oct 8, 2014)

Taunton Vale GC closes on 1 November and has a membership of over 700.  Its supposed to be reverting back to farmland but with easy access to the M5 I wounder how long it is before another development springs up.


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## Adi2Dassler (Oct 8, 2014)

There has been a long standing battle in Portobello ( East Edinburgh) over the re-siting of the high school on football pitches which is adjacent to Portobello 9 hole gc.The initial suggestion was build the school on the pitches, sell the golfie and create a new course a few miles out of town.Uproar ensued and the golfie was saved...I was delighted,my first proper course.

Edinburgh council have been hinting for years there is an over provision of muni courses in Edinburgh (six now I think, since they combined braids 1/2) and I think it's a cert that within the next 10 years we'll be down to 4.A shame, but given we probably are over provided with courses in Edinburgh and surrounding and privates can't survive, it's inevitable I think.


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## delc (Oct 8, 2014)

Adi2Dassler said:



			There has been a long standing battle in Portobello ( East Edinburgh) over the re-siting of the high school on football pitches which is adjacent to Portobello 9 hole gc.The initial suggestion was build the school on the pitches, sell the golfie and create a new course a few miles out of town.Uproar ensued and the golfie was saved...I was delighted,my first proper course.

Edinburgh council have been hinting for years there is an over provision of muni courses in Edinburgh (six now I think, since they combined braids 1/2) and I think it's a cert that within the next 10 years we'll be down to 4.A shame, but given we probably are over provided with courses in Edinburgh and surrounding and privates can't survive, it's inevitable I think.
		
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Perhaps would could persuade the millions of immigrants who live in the South-East of England to move up to Scotland? Then your munis will have a bigger population base to sustain them and our courses will cease to be targets for housing development!


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## Adi2Dassler (Oct 8, 2014)

delc said:



			Perhaps would could persuade the millions of immigrants who live in the South-East of England to move up to Scotland? Then your munis will have a bigger population base to sustain them and our courses will cease to be targets for housing development!  

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They'd be very welcome.


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## FairwayDodger (Oct 8, 2014)

Doon frae Troon said:



			I heard the other day that one of the big East Lothian courses was in trouble.
		
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Which one?


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## JustOne (Oct 8, 2014)

guest100718 said:



			I beleive he is suggesting high rise flats were not really the success that they had hoped when they were built in the 60 and 70s.
		
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Ah right, I was meaning something 4 floors high, not 40.


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## Liverpoolphil (Oct 8, 2014)

Roofs to put over people's head at the end of the day is more important to the population of the UK than golf courses

If a club is closing to make way for houses it's because it's not making enough money 

Obviously the ones that are being ruined because of HS2 is a different ball game


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## Doon frae Troon (Oct 8, 2014)

FairwayDodger said:



			Which one?
		
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Just what I heard from a staff member so it may not be kosher. If it is true it is one of the big new ones and I am not really surprised. 
It would certainly make a good expensive housing estate.


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## patricks148 (Oct 8, 2014)

one of the course in Inverness was built just to get houses on the site. The course has been changed 3 times now to make way for more houses. i can see in the next few year them just building on the rest. Was farm land before.

its strange as all the other land nearby was also Farmland and they built on that no problem, maybe he was just bribing the wrong people


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## SocketRocket (Oct 8, 2014)

Liverpoolphil said:



			Roofs to put over people's head at the end of the day is more important to the population of the UK than golf courses

If a club is closing to make way for houses it's because it's not making enough money 

Obviously the ones that are being ruined because of HS2* is a different ball game*

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Do you mean it's not Cricket


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## FairwayDodger (Oct 8, 2014)

Doon frae Troon said:



			Just what I heard from a staff member so it may not be kosher. If it is true it is one of the big new ones and I am not really surprised. 
It would certainly make a good expensive housing estate.
		
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I'm a member of one of those so a tad concerned....


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## delc (Oct 9, 2014)

Doon frae Troon said:



			The provision of golf courses by councils is no longer high on the agenda, lots of private pay and play courses available now.
Many private golf clubs will also accept new members with the only priority being the ability to pay the subs.
		
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The cheapest private golf club I know of round here charges Â£1300 for membership, which is a considerable investment for the less well off. This particular club has a waiting list at the moment. :mmm:


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## Adi2Dassler (Oct 9, 2014)

Doon frae Troon said:



			Just what I heard from a staff member so it may not be kosher. If it is true it is one of the big new ones and I am not really surprised. 
It would certainly make a good expensive housing estate.
		
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I'd guess Craigielaw, maybe Renaissance?


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## Ethan (Oct 9, 2014)

HomerJSimpson said:



			Though Bearwood got bought by Reading FC for their training ground rather than housing (although they could probably get plenty on there as well).
		
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I hear they are planning to build around 15 pitches and additional training facilities, no word of any residential housing.


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## vkurup (Oct 9, 2014)

While not in Surrey, would he like to take on the Trump and build a house there??  Sure to get a few Scottish votes..


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## Cityfanbrian (Oct 9, 2014)

R.I.P. The 18th at my home course, Fairfield Golf & Sailing Club. The car park, clubhouse and 18th sold for housing. We are building a new clubhouse with the proceeds.


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## sev112 (Oct 9, 2014)

The country doesn't need affordable 2 bed starter houses
It needs affordable 2 bed starter flats
And they don't have to be tower blocks for that purpose.


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## jp5 (Oct 9, 2014)

sev112 said:



			The country doesn't need affordable 2 bed starter houses
It needs affordable 2 bed starter flats
And they don't have to be tower blocks for that purpose.
		
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Plenty of flats around, major shortage of houses. Most people would like a little outside space and the benefits it brings.


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## SocketRocket (Oct 10, 2014)

jp5 said:



			Plenty of flats around, major shortage of houses. Most people would like a little outside space and the Housing Benefits it brings.
		
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Fixed that for you


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## jp5 (Oct 10, 2014)

SocketRocket said:



			Fixed that for you 

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???? Been reading too much of the Daily Mail?


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## SocketRocket (Oct 10, 2014)

jp5 said:



			???? Been reading too much of the Daily Mail?
		
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Can you


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## Stub (Oct 10, 2014)

I think they already have at Wentworth and very nice they are too. My firm are working on a new residence there. Available to anyone with a couple of million to spare:rofl:


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## HomerJSimpson (Oct 10, 2014)

Ethan said:



			I hear they are planning to build around 15 pitches and additional training facilities, no word of any residential housing.
		
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Definitely no mention in this latest report off the BBC Berkshire web page http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-29565827


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## delc (Oct 10, 2014)

Old Skier said:



			Taunton Vale GC closes on 1 November and has a membership of over 700.  Its supposed to be reverting back to farmland but with easy access to the M5 I wounder how long it is before another development springs up.
		
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Any reasons for the closure?  Bankruptcy?  Planning? Land sold from underneath it?  A club with 700 members should be financially viable!


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