Blue Mountain GC closure

[sawtooth]

In just over a week we will know our fate. The local authority wish to close our course and build houses on the 200 acres of greenbelt instead.

As you can imagine this is going down like a cup of cold sick with golfers and the local residents. What I cant understand is that a legal agreement was drawn up in 1990 to say that the land could not be used for any purpose other than golf for 125 years. Yet they decide on December 10th whether to stick with that or rip the agreement up and carry on with the re-development. How does that work?

I played at the course in my early twenties when it first opened. I left after some enjoyable years there and returned only a few years ago. The place holds some great memories and it would be a shame to lose it.

Protests are planned for the day outside the council offices in Bracknell but I cant make it due to work commitments, quite a few from the club will be though and several angry residents.

http://www.bracknellnews.co.uk/news...-to-save-bracknell-golf-course/#c22428‏

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm happy to get you an application form for Royal Ascot. :thup: Sadly I think you'll find this is a done deal especially with the demand for housing in the area and the value of property in the Binfield and Warfield area.

 

[In_The_Rough]

Greenbelt land means Jack. People seem to think that if there is Greenbelt land near them or surrounding them it will never be built on which is totally wrong. The legal agreement may be the only saviour but I doubt it. The lowlifes at the council have probably had a few Brown envelopes and it will be a done deal. Hope it works out for them but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you

 

[Golfmmad]

In just over a week we will know our fate. The local authority wish to close our course and build houses on the 200 acres of greenbelt instead.

As you can imagine this is going down like a cup of cold sick with golfers and the local residents. What I cant understand is that a legal agreement was drawn up in 1990 to say that the land could not be used for any purpose other than golf for 125 years. Yet they decide on December 10th whether to stick with that or rip the agreement up and carry on with the re-development. How does that work?

I played at the course in my early twenties when it first opened. I left after some enjoyable years there and returned only a few years ago. The place holds some great memories and it would be a shame to lose it.

Protests are planned for the day outside the council offices in Bracknell but I cant make it due to work commitments, quite a few from the club will be though and several angry residents.

http://www.bracknellnews.co.uk/news...-to-save-bracknell-golf-course/#c22428‏

I do hope the closure does not go ahead - seems an injustice to me. How can a legal agreement be ignored like that.
We can all appreciate the need for housing but surely there must be alternative sites available.

Good luck and keep us posted. :thup:

 

[Blue in Munich]

Sad fact is that times are financially very hard and I would imagine they are cashing in on the asset to balance the books, as many public bodies are. As for the legal agreement, sadly they can probably be unmade when it suits them almost as easily as it was made. Nice to see the MP on your side, good luck.

 

[bozza]

I take it that the course in a muni course then that is owned by the council?

 

[sawtooth]

Yes will give an update next week, cheers.

Homer I may take you up on your offer some day , RA is one of the alternatives I'll be looking at that's for sure.

 

[sawtooth]

I take it that the course in a muni course then that is owned by the council?

The land is owned by Luff (Developers) and they lease it to Crown Golf. BM is one of Crown's pay and play courses and their HQ is situated there.

Luffs will sell the land to the council. I will be sorry to see the course go but I would be really really miffed if I had bought a house in the immediate area. Its actually written into some property deeds that the land is "safe" for 125 yrs . Surely there must be some compensation at least for these people whose house prices will be affected?

 

[Foxholer]

I take it that the course in a muni course then that is owned by the council?

The land may or may not be owned by BF Council. Crown Golf are certainly involved and their Head Office used to be there!

I played the course on Tuesday and, having heard the plans for housing, was surprised that there are significant changes (improvements imo) being made. I can only assume that while the Plnning is expected to be passed, the Appeals procedure will mean that it will be several years before work actually starts!

I went past my old neck of the woods and that has rather changed from a single road 'community' with little heart to a gigantic housing estate - still with no heart!

 

[sawtooth]

I didn't know you were that local FH? Are you referring to Temple Park opposite the course? I think that was built when the course first opened.

The course management had to think about a solution to a problem where errant tee shots from the 13th end up on the road and houses in Temple Park. So they have made the pond bigger on 13th so that it goes all the way across the front of the green. This is to stop people attempting to drive the green. The long par 3 14th is being shortened at the same time.

Incidentally we took the opportunity recently to redo the stroke indices for the whole course as they were screwed up a bit anyway.

Its business as usual , you are right it will be at least 5 years before work starts (if it starts at all).

 

[bozza]

The land is owned by Luff (Developers) and they lease it to Crown Golf. BM is one of Crown's pay and play courses and their HQ is situated there.

Luffs will sell the land to the council. I will be sorry to see the course go but I would be really really miffed if I had bought a house in the immediate area. Its actually written into some property deeds that the land is "safe" for 125 yrs . Surely there must be some compensation at least for these people whose house prices will be affected?

Yeah i wouldn't be too happy if it was in the property deeds that nothing else could be built on the land but then this comes up?

Is the course busy/make money? Just that if it's not that profitable for Crown golf they may be offerd a lump of money as well if they don't put up a fight about it being used for housing.

 

[JCW]

Money talks , Queens Park Here in Bournemouth was just one vote away from closing , they are still trying to make it a 9 hole as the land is prime land for housing , now the dog walkers are taking over too and have daily run in with golfers , the future is uncertain .................................EYG

 

[sawtooth]

The course always seems to be busy yes although most golfers I would say are pay and play. The clubhouse has pretty decent function rooms so the place is always used for conferences, weddings, auctions, etc.

We have lost a lot of our members to other clubs in the past 1-2 years so we don't have as many in competitions as we used to. I think most people are just happy to play social golf in the week and are not fussed about playing comps on a Sunday morning.

 

[sev112]

In all my many many rounds there i never managed to hit that 14th green in regulation !

Would be a terrible shame for it to close, some really good holes - 4, 6, 7, 10, 15, 16, 17
I remember the first time I ever hit the 15th in regulation.

 

[Foxholer]

I didn't know you were that local FH? Are you referring to Temple Park opposite the course? I think that was built when the course first opened.

I lived in Winkfield Row in the very early 90s.

I think the changes to the 13th are great, though there'll presumably be a bridge built near the pond extension. Never really liked the 14th - it's simply a connector and can be dangerous to guys coming down 13 and I tend to score badly there too (as opposed to the hole-in-one I got on 11!)

While losing any course is a negative, I always thought this one had a 'limited' life expectancy. Mill Ride has apparently been purchased by an 'Investment' group - having been bought by a Chinese Tech guy earlier in the year - so they may be waiting to see how the BM exercise goes! MR has always been a really good layout that lacked funding/investment!

 

[richart]

I lived in Binfield before there was a golf course. Don't suppose I would recognise the place now.

Always a shame when a golf course closes.

 

[sawtooth]

I think the changes to the 13th are great, though there'll presumably be a bridge built near the pond extension.

You would think so wouldn't you? Apparently not but I think they will have to re-think that.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Played there a few times - mainly for a Xmas bash thing they do where all the bandits - 28 HC shooting 46 points turned up to win all the prizes. Ok course

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I lived in Winkfield Row in the very early 90s.

I think the changes to the 13th are great, though there'll presumably be a bridge built near the pond extension. Never really liked the 14th - it's simply a connector and can be dangerous to guys coming down 13 and I tend to score badly there too (as opposed to the hole-in-one I got on 11!)

While losing any course is a negative, I always thought this one had a 'limited' life expectancy. Mill Ride has apparently been purchased by an 'Investment' group - having been bought by a Chinese Tech guy earlier in the year - so they may be waiting to see how the BM exercise goes! MR has always been a really good layout that lacked funding/investment!

I always thought the same. We moved to Quelm Park 17 years ago and the main road, Harvest Ride wasn't even open then. It did seem to be a developers dream sitting there between cash cows like Binfield and Warfield which have always had higher prices than most of Bracknell.

I am intrigued by Mill Ride. It seems to be swapping ownership like kids swapping footie cards in the playground at the moment and those I know that are still members say the soul has gone. The clubhouse is sparsly used and there is no feeling of a club atmsosphere. It is still really wet in the winter and needs some major investment to sort the drainage issues out but if these could be addressed and it was given a spruce up it would be right back to the championship venue it was a decade ago. It just seems a bit tired.

I do fear for Blue Mountain. Despite being five minutes away I've rarely played it and it isn't a course that really flows. Do Crown Golf still have their HQ there? I remember going for a job with them and being told I'd get free golf. Think I talked myself out of the position discussing how much I'd be using that option! I think it will get planning permission and that will go to appeal and many of these do nowadays and so it wil be a few years before anything happens. With the planned housing for the green belt opposite the Coppid Beech hotel also going through, that side of Bracknell will become a transport nightmare.

 

[el marko]

In all my many many rounds there i never managed to hit that 14th green in regulation !

Would be a terrible shame for it to close, some really good holes - 4, 6, 7, 10, 15, 16, 17
I remember the first time I ever hit the 15th in regulation.

Birdied the 14th last weekend! was ecstatic. Managed to roll over the 15th green twice but never stopped on it.

I personally like the course, will be a shame if it goes.