Blue Mountain Update

[sawtooth]

As things stand our club will close on 25th April next year, at least that is when the course operator (Crown) hands back the keys.

It could end up that the course will close and remain dormant for years until the council decide to do anything with it. :angry:

Many letters have gone out to Luffs and the Council but to date no satisfactory answers have come back. This prompted the committee to write an open letter to the local newspaper which was published last week.

 

[SammmeBee]

Why don't the Members just take it on as a going concern......

 

[sawtooth]

I think we would try to do something along those lines but it all depends what the council do. At the moment, Crown are leaving in April and that's all we know. As the council have been so quiet all we can assume is that the place will be locked and boarded up come the end of April.

 

[BTatHome]

Surley if crown leave then they'll take all their equipment with them? Pretty hard to care of f purse without anything equipment.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Saw the letter in the local paper. Would hope the council would publish a response this week even if they haven't contacted anybody directly. Think if Crown are shutting up shop it smacks of a point of no return

 

[sawtooth]

Surley if crown leave then they'll take all their equipment with them? Pretty hard to care of f purse without anything equipment.

Yes it would make it pretty difficult The letter only went out last week so hopefully we will get some response from the council soon. The Blue Mountain Golf Club would be willing to work with another operator/partner to keep things going if that option was open to us. Its not even clear whether the land has changed hands from the owner to the council, so it could easily be a year or two before any work is carried out. Begs the question, will the course remain open until then and if so who will run it?

 

[sawtooth]

Saw the letter in the local paper. Would hope the council would publish a response this week even if they haven't contacted anybody directly. Think if Crown are shutting up shop it smacks of a point of no return

Agreed it doesnt look good but Crown only leased the land, they were pretty much told to leave. I guess the developers/council could not gain access to the site until Crown have vacated. So step one was to serve notice on the lease and that 1 year expires in April 2015.

 

[delc]

Bracknell Forest Council seemed to have behaved pretty despicably in this case, particularly by overturning a long term Section 52 agreement to keep the land as an open space. As a member of another Crown Group course, I have been following this case with interest. It is not the only golf course in Southern England to be threatened by closure and redevelopment. England's green and pleasant land is likely to disappear for ever under urban sprawl! :angry:

 

[sawtooth]

Bracknell Forest Council seemed to have behaved pretty despicably in this case, particularly by overturning a long term Section 52 agreement to keep the land as an open space. As a member of another Crown Group course, I have been following this case with interest. It is not the only golf course in Southern England to be threatened by closure and redevelopment. England's green and pleasant land is likely to disappear for ever under urban sprawl! :angry:

You're not wrong.

I played yesterday and my group waited on the 12th for a deer and its fawn to cross the fairway. On the 13th the fairway was teaming with Canada geese. Besides a course we will be losing a large expanse of natural beauty and wildlife. Its inexplicable that they cannot find another location for a school, 400+ homes and a relocated football ground for the mightily supported Bracknell FC.:angry:

 

[el marko]

I've got a lawn mower i could lend. If we all take 1 hole we can keep it running as a private course!

 

[delc]

Even the Council's own report seemed to indicate that there is not another suitable golf course nearby that players could join or play at. Absolutely disgraceful to wantonly destroy an established and popular golf course in my opinion. Doubtless the new housing estate they want to build on the site will have roads with golf related names (St Andrews Close etc), but that's not really quite the same! :angry:

 

[SammmeBee]

In all honesty, I am sure the golfers will find somewhere else to play and it won't really be missed.....

 

[delc]

In all honesty, I am sure the golfers will find somewhere else to play and it won't really be missed.....

Blue Mountain is a pay & play course with a membership section. Don't think there is anything like that in the immediate area. We really need p&p courses to attract new people to the game without a large initial financial commitment, as in joining a private members course (probably £1200+ in this part of the World). I have played Blue Mountain a few times and thought it was quite pleasant.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

In all honesty, I am sure the golfers will find somewhere else to play and it won't really be missed.....

Hardly the point though is it and the way the council has behaved has been shameful. Wonder if they'll put anything by way of response into the local rag

 

[SammmeBee]

Bird Hills, Downshire, Pine Ridge, Wentworth.....Royal Ascot.....

 

[delc]

Bird Hills, Downshire, Pine Ridge, Wentworth.....Royal Ascot.....

None that close to Bracknell, and two very posh and expensive clubs in that list! :mmm:

 

[delc]

Hardly the point though is it and the way the council has behaved has been shameful. Wonder if they'll put anything by way of response into the local rag

Exactly right! Will be interesting to read their response, if they ever make one!

 

[sawtooth]

If there is a response I will post it up. Its hard to argue with some of the points in our letter to them.

 

[delc]

Agreed it doesnt look good but Crown only leased the land, they were pretty much told to leave. I guess the developers/council could not gain access to the site until Crown have vacated. So step one was to serve notice on the lease and that 1 year expires in April 2015.

I very much doubt that Crown Golf are leaving Blue Mountain out of choice, not least because their headquarters have been based there up to now, and I also understand that it is/was one of their more profitable courses. The nearest alternative Crown course is Pine Ridge I believe, which is a very nice course btw.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The nearest alternative Crown course is Pine Ridge I believe, which is a very nice course btw.

Nice course but a pain in terms of pace of play, especially at weekends