Club Profile: Windlesham GC – How eco work and reciprocal deals has attracted new business

A few years ago the BBC ran a poll for Britain’s favourite road. The fact that it was won by a small street in Newcastle suggests that not too many golf enthusiasts took part.

Because if they had surely nothing could compete with the A30. Or at least the two per cent of that road that navigates you through Wentworth, Sunningdale and Windlesham.

Windlewhat? The final club in the trilogy doesn’t have anything like the fame, prestige or history of it’s two local giants, but that is precisely why it fills what would otherwise be a void in the golfing world’s favourite road.

“We don’t try and compete with Sunningdale or Wentworth,” explained spokesman Richard Griffiths. “It’s a 90s course so don’t have the years of history behind us.”

The course was built during the early to mid-90s boom in golf clubs – particularly in Surrey. In fact it is estimated that about 12 courses were built, all within a 40 minute drive of each other, between 1992 and 1994. Unsurprisingly this transformed the culture of golf in Surrey from an elitist sport with long waiting lists to an accessible activity whereby clubs were dreaming up innovative marketing ideas to entice new members. Windlesham is no different in that regard. But one thing that does perhaps stand out about it is that many of its staff have remained at the club since the very beginning. In fact, even with golf’s reputation as being the retiree’s sport, no one at Wentworth or Sunningdale can make that boast.

Les Coombs remembers the land before the course was built.

“The directors came to see if the site was suitable,” he recalled. “It was originally a farm that ran a beef herd. The obvious difficulty for building this course was the two metres of pete that sat on the bottom. Fortunately a terram sheet prevented it from sinking and the land was built up with sand and soil. Following Tommy Horton’s design, Southern Golf started building in May 1993 and the course was officially opened in August 1994 – including the clubhouse. It was very quick!

“Today, we’ve seen a tremendous rise in wildlife from the work we’ve done on the course,” said Les.

“We leave large areas of rough as we don’t want to manicure or cut areas, because, for instance, we get a lot of owls, which have started to breed in the oak trees. We also dug ponds on the 17th hole that have attracted kingfishers.

“They weren’t here during the farmland days, they’ve been attracted since. If you cut the hedges in the autumn you cut the birds’ food away so we don’t do anything like that any more. You can see the birds hovering for prey. We’ve also seen a green and spotted woodpecker eating seed in the rough, and on the 11th tee a pair of seagulls often come down and patter their feet on the ground to attract worms. When one of the members saw it he had no idea what was going on!”

But the club is also attractive to local businesses. A restaurant, two function rooms, a supremely friendly social environment and home made food provide an irresistible mixture.

“Several business and private parties come here,” said Richard. “New business comes through member referrals predominantly, and the majority of our business is repeat business. The customers like the service, the value for money and the fact they’re looked after. Everybody tries to make them feel welcome.

Some of the world’s best golfers have also played or practiced at Windlesham.

“If there’s a professional tournament nearby the pros often come here and practice,” said Richard. “Several from the Seniors Tour base themselves here as well. It’s because it’s so near to Wentworth but so unassuming. Nobody bothers them when they’re here.”

At the club’s 10th anniversary in 2004, Tommy Horton, Delroy Cambridge, Jerry Bruner and Bernhard Gallagher played in an exhibition match.

The club put on a buffet and champagne reception while the members followed the great players around their course.

And that was not the only opportunity to see top players at Windlesham; the club also hosts a PGA South Region pro-am every year.

Another benefit the members get is that the club is a member of the Barrelfield Golf Network, meaning that they can play for free, at any of another member clubs, mainly in the south of England. The list include nearby clubs such as Clandon Regis, Merrist Wood and Wokefield Park.

So the place is good for environmentalists, businesses and golf watchers. But what’s it like to actually play? The answer, unsurprisingly, involves the thumb in an upward direction.

The challenging course is 6,650 yards from the championship tees and players will probably have to use every club in their bag. But who better to describe it than Tommy Horton, who still visits there as often as he can, himself?

“It’s a course that excites and tests all standards of golfer,” he said. “The gentle slopes and streams form the main difficulties for all players. I was fortunate to have a site that was a golf architect’s dream. Every aspect needed for a magnificent course was available naturally.”

And before playing you can also be treated to one of the best teaching facilities in the country. The three covered bays, 12 open bays and a chipping green, which was built last year, are well received by members. Furthermore, the club has four professionals with quite a pedigree – Lee Mucklow, a playing professional for two years, Alan Barber, the official golf coach to the 1990 England World Cup football team, Jeremy Bennett, a regular commentator on Sky Sports and Radio Five Live, and Richard Bishton, the recent winner of the Paul Hurling South Region Masters and various individual pro-am events.

So whether you want to see wildlife, a top golf course or just one of Britain’s favourite roads, Windlesham GC is the place to visit.