Richmond Park opens eco clubhouse

Richmond Park Golf Club, in London’s largest royal park, has opened a new £2.5 million clubhouse.

The building features an eco-roof made entirely from acid grassland “making it quite possibly the largest continuous green roof in the capital,” said a spokesman for the club.

Richmond Park is operated by Glendale Managed Services. Its head of golf, Jon Dummett, said: “The investment into the clubhouse is part of our long-term commitment to improving the facilities at Richmond Park. Working in conjunction with the Royal Parks, an important aspect of this project is sustainable building design and the use of renewable energy sources.

“For example, the veranda overlooks a large pond, which conceals an energy source. Hidden beneath the surface is an array of coiled pipes that extract energy naturally stored in the ground, which is then used to heat the building.”

The contemporary clubhouse also marks the launch of the catering brand ‘Nineteen Bar & Kitchen’.

“Whilst the new clubhouse has been the focus of the project, we are also making improvements to the layout and drainage of both courses, which includes reconstruction of several holes,” said Jon.

“We’ve achieved this whilst considering the original characteristics of the 1923 Hawtree design. The opening of a 20-bay driving range and academy course will follow at the end of the year and the completed project is set to make Richmond Park the best pay and play golf destination in Europe.”