Ex-members open new golf club in Staffordshire

A new golf club has opened in Stoke on the site where a long-standing golf club closed down last year.

The 18-hole Izaak Walton Golf Club entered liquidation last May.

However, some of its members continued to play some of the holes on the course after the closure, and they have now joined forces to open Norton Bridge Golf Club on the same site. The club is completely members-run.

They have reopened the clubhouse and two greenkeepers have maintained nine of the club’s holes.

“Rather than see a thriving community club with a great course and facilities go to waste, retired fire-fighter and new member Andy Dennis, ex club captain and lifelong member Dennis Cooper and several other dedicated members of the club joined forces to bring a phoenix from the flames,” said a spokesman.

Izaak Walton Golf Club closed down last year

Andy Dennis said: “We just weren’t prepared to give up – even with the clubhouse closed, we just turned up in the mornings and played nine. It was a difficult time not knowing what was going to be happening but we didn’t want to walk away and let the club close for good. I’d only been a member for four weeks but there was something about the club I noticed straight away – an atmosphere, community spirit, togetherness. I just felt I needed to stay and be part of it.”

There are plans to develop a practice area at the back of the club from where a footgolf course currently using part of the back nine will be relocated. This will see the back nine re-opened and a fully functional 18-hole golf course back in play.

Full adult membership will cost £595 per year and is now on sale along with other categories, with the course ready to play.

Committee member, Elaine Bird, said: “We are hugely excited at the prospect of the 18-hole course reopening and are keen to expand our membership. We have a lot of interest from former Izaak Walton members who moved clubs during the closed period to maintain their handicaps, as well as potential new members.

“We’re of a good-spirited bunch of golfing folk who love their club and are working 24-7 to meet our goal of bringing it back to its former glory. We’re hugely grateful for the support we’ve received from England Golf and Staffordshire Golf over the past months, and the future is bright!”