Oak Park closure

[3puttpercy]

Heard land owner of course is considering going to court .
4 years left on lease and go-golfing just upped and left.
with payments outstanding ?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I heard that Go-Golfing exercised a contractual right after they sought a reduction in the lease cost and that request was rejected.

 

[FuzzyDuck]

Won't be missed here, the 10th to 13th are bloody nightmare. The club had a very poor reputation and I believe even got thrown out of a league a few years ago.

 

[The Fader]

I don't know the course but any loss of golfing facilities is lamentable. Especially for members.

I can't imagine the landlords will be knocked down in the rush of potential new owners!

A housing development maybe unless a last minute compromise can be reached.

 

[Deleted member 23344]

The loss of any golf course is sad … whether it is slightly sad, seriously sad or a huge tragedy depends on the course.

 

[SammmeBee]

Heard land owner of course is considering going to court .
4 years left on lease and go-golfing just upped and left.
with payments outstanding ?

If the name of the company is wrong then it’s unlikely the rest is correct either….

 

[Patster1969]

I heard that Go-Golfing exercised a contractual right after they sought a reduction in the lease cost and that request was rejected.

I had heard the same Hogan - Crown hadn't been putting enough money into the upkeep and Get Golfing tried to re-negotiate the lease to take this into account. The issue with it is that the course is on prime housing land and that the landlord may be also looking at this option - he could make a killing by selling off just 9 holes there, as this still leaves 18 holes if they want to go down that route. This is what it says on the Oak Park website:-

"With great reluctance, Get Golfing has exercised its right to terminate its lease of Oak Park Golf Club, after failing to renegotiate its terms with the landlords.
Oak Park was acquired in 2020 as part of a package of clubs from previous owner Crown Golf. A loss-making site, Get Golfing took it on knowing that it had received little-to-no investment over the years and was burdened by a commercially unrealistic rent.
It was hoped that the remaining four-year lease could be reworked to put the business on a stable financial footing, reflecting its current income and allowing Get Golfing to direct much-needed investment funds into the course and clubhouse.
Get Golfing had begun that process, repainting parts of the clubhouse and repairing the car park as well as drawing up a major drainage plan to transform the 18-hole main course and the 9-hole Village course. Traditionally, both were so wet in winter that golf was unplayable for much of the time. Get Golfing had also paid its first-quarter 2021 rent on December 24th, believing that the lease talks would reach agreement.
As is their right, however, the landlords rejected Get Golfing’s proposal. This left Get Golfing with no alternative but to exercise its right to terminate the lease. The option to surrender was triggered by the government lockdown in November, which closed the course, and was covered in the original lease agreement that Get Golfing acquired from Crown last June.
“As a charity, we cannot knowingly operate a site that we know will lose money. At no time has it ever been our intention to walk away from Oak Park but, unfortunately, we have been unable to find a suitable compromise and so we are vacating the site,” Get Golfing CEO Edward Richardson says.
“No member will be left out of pocket by our decision. Refunds of subscriptions — including all the period that the Club was closed — will be made to them without delay. We are keenly aware that the closure of Oak Park could cause huge upheaval to its members’ golfing and social lives, particularly at a time when we all need the companionship of our friends. In light of this, we have offered all members the option to join nearby Sherfield Oaks (near Basingstoke) at the same rate they paid at Oak Park in year one. If that is not convenient, we can also offer the opportunity to upgrade to membership at Pyrford GC (Wisley).
“We have begun the process of major improvements to both clubs. Our investment in Sherfield has seen a complete clubhouse renovation programme that is due to open on March 30th. The course too has commenced a comprehensive five-year remodelling programme. Pyrford has already seen many of its lake banks renovated and all the bunkers will have been remodelled by mid-summer 2021.
“We are genuinely sad that we could not have played a significant role in the future of Oak Park. However, when our first lockdown at Oak Park took place in November (the previous lockdown was under Crown) and the opportunity arose to vacate the property early, when a new lease on realistic terms was not forthcoming, we really had no choice.”
Get Golfing, which operates seven sites in total, is actively looking for more sites to help reach its stated aim of creating greater participation in golf in order to deliver a positive impact on the physical and mental health of those who play. In addition to Sherfield Oaks and Pyrford, the charity operates Redlibbets in Kent, Warley Park in Essex, Surrey club Hampton Court Palace, Hertfordshire’s Mill Green and The Bristol Golf Club in Gloucestershire"

 

[Patster1969]

Have also heard that Sutton Green may be in trouble as well

 

[SammmeBee]

Have also heard that Sutton Green may be in trouble as well

Council land though isn’t it?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I don't know the course but any loss of golfing facilities is lamentable. Especially for members.

I can't imagine the landlords will be knocked down in the rush of potential new owners!

A housing development maybe unless a last minute compromise can be reached.

I honestly cannot see a housing development of any size getting planning permission in that area of the Hants-Surrey border country. Apart from anything else there is absolutely no infrastructure of any significance in the immediate locality.

 

[Patster1969]

Council land though isn’t it?

Don't honestly know, you could well be right though

 

[Patster1969]

Apart from anything else there is absolutely no infrastructure of any significance in the immediate locality.

Don't think that's stopped them before though, although you hope that it will