Why these two golf clubs saw huge growth in 2017

They might be about 400 miles apart on opposing ends of England, but The Point at Polzeath and Carus Green GC share at least one thing in common: Both had an extraordinary 2017

In 2017 The Point at Polzeath in Cornwall was awarded England Golf’s GolfMark Club of the Year. This is remarkable for a number of reasons, most significant being that until early 2012 it was Roserrow Golf and Country Club and in administration! The business received a total makeover in every area from golf course to health club, restaurant to holiday accommodation, and was rebranded as The Point at Polzeath.

Over the next five years there was significant investment in the business, starting with a new studio extension to the health club. This was followed by the construction of seven stunning new eco apartments, with breathtaking views of Pentire Point and the Atlantic Ocean. The apartments have rebased the onsite accommodation, with beautiful stone floor underfloor heating and well-received wet-room bathrooms.

Last year saw the opening of the new Bear Bar, which provides a relaxed environment for golfers to have a bite to eat and drink at the end of their round, while at the same time being somewhere to have a lazy pint in the evening while enjoying the views. The restaurant has built a great reputation for serving delicious food, all locally sourced, at sensible prices. Access was massively improved by opening a private road to ‘Point’ customers directly from the coastal village of Rock, cutting the journey from 15 minutes to less than five.

While all this was going on the greenkeepers never stopped improving the golf course. Every hole on the course has seen a change of some description. A lot of work has gone into improving the drainage, with the fairways now playing beautifully all year round. The greens are, state the club, considered among the best in Cornwall, the bunkers have also been repositioned with a few added which has made a huge difference to the definition.

Meanwhile, at the other end of England, Carus Green Golf Club in Cumbria posted a record year in 2017, with every area across the business increasing by more than 20 per cent compared to 2016. In particular, staff at the new golf centre, which opened in October 2016, have seen the fruits of their labour realised, with shop sales up 62.2 per cent overall on the previous 12 months. Despite the wet summer weather in 2017, retail sales increased by 72.5 per cent, with hardware sales increasing by 78 per cent. Custom fitting was up 71.17 per cent against 2016 and repairs have increased by a staggering 200 per cent.

“With the golf centre now in its second year, we’re delighted by these encouraging statistics, especially those relating to golf tuition, which has increased 18.5 per cent since 2016,” said director, Lee Edwards.

With a surge in business has come a need for more employees. Eleven new members of staff joined the golf club in 2017; up 25 per cent on 2016. With almost 50 individuals now working there, Carus Green is a significant local employer.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with our progress over 2017; it really was a ‘bumper year’,” said the club’s owner, Graham Curtin.

“Every aspect of the business is up, from green fees, memberships, accommodation, restaurant and bar sales to weddings and functions. There have also been some fantastic highlights, such as the Trilby Tour, which helped to put Carus on the map as an all-out day experience, and the opening of our new sports bar. Success has been a complete team effort and although there’s still a lot of work to do, it’s great to see the hard graft really paying off.”