tigertot
Medal Winner
Imagine being given the opportunity to rediscover a lost Harry S Colt golf course? Your very own golfing Antique Roadshow moment. A 90-year-old beauty with 14 of the original 18 holes still in play because it has been neglected by its current owners for decades. Rough and ready around the edges, but still being played every day despite a lack of investment and attention. A golf course that featured a unique island tee box never seen anywhere else in the world in Colt’s over 320 designs. Only two other Harry S Colt designs are still in play as municipal facilities in the UK. All the others are in private hands and treated with the love and care they deserve.
A course sitting within a World Heritage Site and protected from building development by that status. A course developed by Colt to complement the houses that were built around it, each adding value to the other. A perfect example of the “Country Club“ concept that started in St George’s Hill in 1913, later copied at Wentworth and Effingham, and seen in Allestree, Derby in 1930. Imagine the ability to talk about that course, consulting with some of the greatest living golf course architects, and confirming unequivocally its provenance, history and heritage. Imagine being able to influence the Harry Colt project adding value to its wonderful archive of Colt related material. www.harrycoltproject.com
A course so famous in its day, known as the Derbyshire Golf Club at Allestree, that its history was chronicled on the front pages of now defunct newspapers. Postcards and aerial photographs were taken in 1936! So special that it resulted in a formal application for the golf course to be recorded by Historic England as a Designated Historic Landscape. We await the news if this is to be known as the first golf course in the UK with such a designation.
This aerial photograph of the famous lake holes is being used on paid licence as it comes from the archive owned by Derby City Council. That’s not a misprint. We have had to pay to use this picture as it comes from Derby City Council’s own archive. Yet no mention of the course history in any of the advertising. Why?
Exciting? A once in a lifetime opportunity? Why am I so devastated today then? I am being forced to watch this course die a slow death having received no attention from its owners since before Christmas.
WHY? Golf in England is about to come out of lockdown on March 29th and demand has never been greater. Local private courses are fully subscribed and are rightly limiting visitor access to benefit paid members. None of these venues could be viewed as affordable in comparison to Allestree Park. I wrote an article about the course, revealing its history in November 2020. https://www.golfshake.com/news/view/15738/Hidden_in_Plain_Sight_Uncovering_a_Golf_Treasure.html Visitor numbers in December, despite appalling weather, rose by 300%. Municipal golf in Scotland has continued and recorded a 260% increase in business over the last four months. This golf course sits untouched and abandoned. Staff are being paid to ensure no one plays golf on it and this is likely to continue after 29th March 2021. Why?
The Council are claiming a cost saving of £69,000 in a recently announced budget. This is wrong as they have committed to pay £32,000 to maintain the course as an absorbed parkland. Throwing away of all this for a saving of £37,000 AND losing the chance to actually generate income from a Council resource that is about to experience increased demand is commercially unjustifiable. Why?
The owners of this gem of a course, Derby City Council, (DCC) decided that they wished to sell Allestree Hall and golf course because the Hall is on the “At Risk” register and is a grade 2* listed building. They advertised the Hall for sale through a glossy internet brochure with a single line stating, “Option available to operate adjoining Golf Course.” No mention of its designer or history, failing to detail 18 years of its initial life. No advertising to golf related developers. Why?
One positive from its neglect is the fact that 14 of the original 18 holes are exactly as Colt designed them over 90 years ago. The other 4 still exist but would need some investment to reinstate. Imagine an 18 hole gem exactly as designed by Harry S Colt untouched in 90 years.What is it worth? Nobody knows, but still the Council are intent on destroying it.Once it is gone, it’s gone forever.
Allestree Park Golf Club attached to the course has been decimated through years of neglect. They leased rooms in the clubhouse, providing their own heating as the Council owners failed to repair failed heating systems or repair structural leaks. Mould caused by leaks rendered the food preparation areas unhygienic. Members moved elsewhere and the club is now fading into oblivion.
A public consultation secured 75% support for the course to be retained. It was ignored, and a sale process started with four bidders emerging who wished to take over the running of the course. All were rejected by DCC. Once my story broke golf industry interest added at least another three interested bidders. Those approaches were also rejected. They have the staff and equipment to run the course and generate income but the Councill has refused. Why?
Petitions to save the course have attracted almost 26,000 signatures and has been dealt with by the Council with a terse written response of 468 words, most of which simply criticised the wording of the petition. This matter has never been debated in the Council as delegated authority was generated to a handful of officers who have driven this closure process. Post pandemic we are in a different world, surely a flexible approach would suit all parties allowing income generation and assessment. Why not?
DCC have decided to decommission the course, abandon it, and incorporate it into the existing parkland. A recent freedom of Information request revealing that this will cost £32,000 per year to accomplish. It is already surrounded by Derbyshire largest Local Nature Reserves and one of City's largest parks so no one loses any amenity by keeping the golf course. For 90 years the park and the golf course have existed next to each other. Why could this not continue?
The golf industry is rightly promoting its health and well-being benefits. It can be played by all ages and genders, but it needs accessible and affordable entry points into the game. Allestree is a perfect venue for such use, and it is being allowed to die a slow death because it has become a political football.We have created a website www.saveallestreegolfcourse.co.uk that details our concerns regarding this process as we cannot get any engagement from the Council. Check out our YouTube videos. If you need to assess the loss to the community of this facility check out the one produced by Golf Mates taken on the last day of play.
We even have candidates ready to stand as independent Councillors in the forthcoming local elections on this issue. If you want to know more about the history of this venue and its plight please visit the site and let us know your thoughts and ideas. contact@saveallestreegolfcourse.co.uk
A course sitting within a World Heritage Site and protected from building development by that status. A course developed by Colt to complement the houses that were built around it, each adding value to the other. A perfect example of the “Country Club“ concept that started in St George’s Hill in 1913, later copied at Wentworth and Effingham, and seen in Allestree, Derby in 1930. Imagine the ability to talk about that course, consulting with some of the greatest living golf course architects, and confirming unequivocally its provenance, history and heritage. Imagine being able to influence the Harry Colt project adding value to its wonderful archive of Colt related material. www.harrycoltproject.com
A course so famous in its day, known as the Derbyshire Golf Club at Allestree, that its history was chronicled on the front pages of now defunct newspapers. Postcards and aerial photographs were taken in 1936! So special that it resulted in a formal application for the golf course to be recorded by Historic England as a Designated Historic Landscape. We await the news if this is to be known as the first golf course in the UK with such a designation.
This aerial photograph of the famous lake holes is being used on paid licence as it comes from the archive owned by Derby City Council. That’s not a misprint. We have had to pay to use this picture as it comes from Derby City Council’s own archive. Yet no mention of the course history in any of the advertising. Why?
Exciting? A once in a lifetime opportunity? Why am I so devastated today then? I am being forced to watch this course die a slow death having received no attention from its owners since before Christmas.
WHY? Golf in England is about to come out of lockdown on March 29th and demand has never been greater. Local private courses are fully subscribed and are rightly limiting visitor access to benefit paid members. None of these venues could be viewed as affordable in comparison to Allestree Park. I wrote an article about the course, revealing its history in November 2020. https://www.golfshake.com/news/view/15738/Hidden_in_Plain_Sight_Uncovering_a_Golf_Treasure.html Visitor numbers in December, despite appalling weather, rose by 300%. Municipal golf in Scotland has continued and recorded a 260% increase in business over the last four months. This golf course sits untouched and abandoned. Staff are being paid to ensure no one plays golf on it and this is likely to continue after 29th March 2021. Why?
The Council are claiming a cost saving of £69,000 in a recently announced budget. This is wrong as they have committed to pay £32,000 to maintain the course as an absorbed parkland. Throwing away of all this for a saving of £37,000 AND losing the chance to actually generate income from a Council resource that is about to experience increased demand is commercially unjustifiable. Why?
The owners of this gem of a course, Derby City Council, (DCC) decided that they wished to sell Allestree Hall and golf course because the Hall is on the “At Risk” register and is a grade 2* listed building. They advertised the Hall for sale through a glossy internet brochure with a single line stating, “Option available to operate adjoining Golf Course.” No mention of its designer or history, failing to detail 18 years of its initial life. No advertising to golf related developers. Why?
One positive from its neglect is the fact that 14 of the original 18 holes are exactly as Colt designed them over 90 years ago. The other 4 still exist but would need some investment to reinstate. Imagine an 18 hole gem exactly as designed by Harry S Colt untouched in 90 years.What is it worth? Nobody knows, but still the Council are intent on destroying it.Once it is gone, it’s gone forever.
Allestree Park Golf Club attached to the course has been decimated through years of neglect. They leased rooms in the clubhouse, providing their own heating as the Council owners failed to repair failed heating systems or repair structural leaks. Mould caused by leaks rendered the food preparation areas unhygienic. Members moved elsewhere and the club is now fading into oblivion.
A public consultation secured 75% support for the course to be retained. It was ignored, and a sale process started with four bidders emerging who wished to take over the running of the course. All were rejected by DCC. Once my story broke golf industry interest added at least another three interested bidders. Those approaches were also rejected. They have the staff and equipment to run the course and generate income but the Councill has refused. Why?
Petitions to save the course have attracted almost 26,000 signatures and has been dealt with by the Council with a terse written response of 468 words, most of which simply criticised the wording of the petition. This matter has never been debated in the Council as delegated authority was generated to a handful of officers who have driven this closure process. Post pandemic we are in a different world, surely a flexible approach would suit all parties allowing income generation and assessment. Why not?
DCC have decided to decommission the course, abandon it, and incorporate it into the existing parkland. A recent freedom of Information request revealing that this will cost £32,000 per year to accomplish. It is already surrounded by Derbyshire largest Local Nature Reserves and one of City's largest parks so no one loses any amenity by keeping the golf course. For 90 years the park and the golf course have existed next to each other. Why could this not continue?
The golf industry is rightly promoting its health and well-being benefits. It can be played by all ages and genders, but it needs accessible and affordable entry points into the game. Allestree is a perfect venue for such use, and it is being allowed to die a slow death because it has become a political football.We have created a website www.saveallestreegolfcourse.co.uk that details our concerns regarding this process as we cannot get any engagement from the Council. Check out our YouTube videos. If you need to assess the loss to the community of this facility check out the one produced by Golf Mates taken on the last day of play.
We even have candidates ready to stand as independent Councillors in the forthcoming local elections on this issue. If you want to know more about the history of this venue and its plight please visit the site and let us know your thoughts and ideas. contact@saveallestreegolfcourse.co.uk
