The Bristol Golf Club is sold for the second time in 12 months

The Bristol Golf Club has been sold for the second time in a year, this time to an associated company of Masters Golf, a golf accessory supplier.

In 2020 the same club was sold to charity Get Golfing CIO by Crown Golf.

The latest sale is for an undisclosed sum.

“Having acquired the site from Crown Golf last year, we carried out a comprehensive review of the facility and its potential development,” Get Golfing trustee Ian Timberlake says.

The Bristol. Image by Andy Hiseman

“It became apparent to us that the site offered huge scope to transform the club into one of the standout golf, accommodation and hospitality venues in the south-west. While recognising the potential, the scale of the task meant that we did not believe we were the best-suited owner of the site. Although Get Golfing invests significant sums into its sites, the reality was that the wide-ranging opportunities were beyond its remit as a golf-promoting charity.

“Portishead-based Masters Golf, however, is the perfect suitor for the site. It has a demonstrable passion for the game, having worked with the Golf Foundation, The R&A and PGA Tour on both supply agreements and philanthropic activities. Get Golfing’s management team firmly believe that, with the support of the local authority, The Bristol will become known as a high-quality golf course and as a recognised commercial entertainment venue that includes overnight stay accommodation making use of the recently upgraded hospitality suites.”

The Bristol. Image by Andy Hiseman

In the year that Get Golfing owned and operated the club, the membership grew by 38 percent as it improved the condition of the course.

Tony Crook, men’s captain at The Bristol, says that the turnaround in the condition of the course since Get Golfing took over has been remarkable: “All credit must go to Dave Taylor, the course manager, and the Get Golfing team whose expertise and support was really noticeable. I will be sad to see Get Golfing go, but am also really excited about the plans the new owners have.”

This Get Golfing sale follows two recent acquisitions in the Ansty Golf Centre, near Coventry, and Arkley Golf Club, near Barnet, and the publication of strong trading figures in 2020. Other sites in its portfolio include Hampton Court Palace Golf Club, The Club at Mill Green, Pyrford Lakes, Redlibbets Golf & Country Club, Sherfield Oaks and Warley Park.

It is also the second club the charity has let go in the last year.

The Bristol. Image by Andy Hiseman

The sale comes just a few months after another golf brand, MASHIE Golf, which is not normally involved in the purchasing of golf clubs, played a major role in the acquisition of Cleeve Hill Golf Club, also in the south-west of England.

The Golf Business profiled the Get Golfing charity in June.