Golf club to end memberships

A golf club has applied for planning permission to build lodges that will reduce the length of its course – a move that may result in it only allowing guests staying at the lodges to use the venue.

Henlle Park Golf Club in Shropshire, an 18-hole venue that is set to be reduced to nine or 12 holes, has already said it will end having members from this March.

The move was revealed in documents submitted to the council by prospective operator Coppergreen Developments in January, and was confirmed to members in an email from current club owner Ralph Tomley.

Tomley announced that from March onwards, in anticipation of work starting on the development in the coming months, the club will no longer offer memberships and will operate on a pay-as-you-play basis.

Henlle Park Golf Club. Image from Facebook

The planning application was submitted for consideration in July last year, after an earlier scheme for 120 cabins was rejected.

Tomley’s email to members said the planning process had taken longer than anticipated, but that he was “confident of a conclusion soon”.

He said: “After March 1, 2022, Henlle will be run in a different way. Membership will cease and the course run on a play-and-pay basis, this will allow current members and others to play whenever they wish, subject to availability, without having to pay a lump sum up front.

“It is intended to continue to run the course as a full 18-hole course until Coppergreen, who will be the new owners, begin the construction of the lodges in several months time, then the course will be reduced to nine or possibly 12 holes.

“The construction will take about 12 months, following that, about 18 months from now, Coppergreen may need to restrict play to only those residents of the holiday lodges to comply with planning.”