Club profile: Cotswold Hills Golf Club

Set in an area of natural beauty among rolling hills between Cheltenham and Gloucester, Cotswold Hills Golf Club enjoys an attractive setting with a top quality course to match.

Formed in 1902, initially on Cleeve Common overlooking the famous Gold Cup racecourse in Prestbury Park, the club relocated to nearby Ullenwood in 1976 to overcome complications caused by grazing sheep and non-golfers using the land for other leisure pursuits.

Members enthusiastically welcomed the establishment of their new course and clubhouse built on former free-draining farmland in an idyllic setting.

Although the clubhouse was kept in good order and substantially improved internally, after nearly 40 years service, it was showing signs of age.

In 2016, the time had come for plans to be drawn up for a complete refurbishment and extension to bring it up to modern day standards and to cement its position as a host to a number of prestigious regional competitions.

Golf clubhouse design specialist Mungo Park Architects was appointed with a brief to provide a comprehensive upgrade and enlargement of the clubhouse.

Planning permission was received and work got underway, completed in May 2018.

The redesign provided a modern first floor patio area with glazed panels overlooking the course, easy access to disabled toilets on the first floor and the long overdue refurbishment and enlargement of the men’s locker room to bring it to an acceptable standard.

Mungo Park, the firm’s principal architect recalled: “The building’s style was utilitarian and of its time, with stone effect cladding externally. Its architectural quality was unambitious, and it was in need of renovation to bring it as far as financially possible up to the standard expected by modern golfers.”

A crisp, dark facing brick and Siberian larch cladding was used for the new building work and charcoal grey powder-coated aluminium windows and doors were installed to complement the existing building and bring the entire appearance up to modern day expectations.

The contract for the locker room refit was awarded to industry leader Ridgeway Furniture, which installed new, larger, deep and ventilated lockers with smart, beech-finished doors. In addition, a number of coin-operated lockers were installed for use by visitors.

Cotswold Hills’ general manager Richard Mobley said the club and visiting golfers alike have been very impressed.

“Ridgeway is a good company to work with. The fitters were excellent, always arriving on time, hard working and very polite. The new locker room looks lovely and certainly complements the refurbished and extended clubhouse, which is very smart.”

Since its inception Ridgeway has manufactured tens of thousands of lockers that have been installed in some of the most prestigious golf clubs in the world.

The company has seen turnover increase by more than 100 per cent over the past five years and has invested more than £500,000 in a new factory, increasing its capacity by over 50 per cent. The facility, at more than 18,000 square feet, means the company is now the UK’s largest dedicated manufacturer of wooden lockers.

Cotswold Hills Golf Club is regarded as one of the finest in the region.

Its course, measuring 6,800 yards, features long par 5s, superb short holes and a variety of par 4s, which are both challenging and great fun to play. Five tee positions are available to allow golfers of varying ability to experience a challenging and enjoyable round of golf.

Consistently praised for the quality of its greens and its overall presentation, the course has hosted many prestigious events, including the English Ladies’ Amateur Championship and the England Golf County Boys’ Finals.

Cotswold Hills remains a members’ club at heart, and is dedicated to its original aim of providing ‘Golf and Good Fellowship’.