Locker upgrade delivers ‘enriched experience’

Approaching its 130th anniversary in 2023, Robin Hood Golf Club can look back on a history of continuing investment inside and out.

An England Golf championship venue, the Solihull mature parkland course presents one of the most challenging 18 holes in the West Midlands.

Designed by Harry Colt, it features superb standard greens and a clubhouse renovated in the early 2000s with funds from the sale of redundant land.

However, Robin Hood’s 550 playing members may have had every right to think they were getting a raw deal from changing facilities still stuck in the steel age.

Old cramped metal lockers, some bashed and battered, others with no keys, hardly presented a mark of respect for loyal members, or a secure setting for golf kit and personal belongings.

Nor were they an inviting proposition for visitors and those thinking of joining the historic venue, whose past members included scoring system innovator Dr Frank Stableford.

And that was a real shame as Robin Hood strives to attract fresh blood and is an enthusiastic partner of the Get into Golf national scheme.

“We were soldiering on with very tired looking, old-fashioned locker rooms that were in desperate need of refurbishment,” recalls manager Jon Northover.

“This was a major project for us and was one we had thought through long and hard. If we were going to replace lockers in both male and female changing areas, we might as well do a proper job to really raise the quality of provision.”

The club investigated several suppliers. “Most were so expensive but we found Fitlockers to be reasonably priced and well supported and invited David Fitchett to meet the then house chairman Mike Bowes and present to the board.”

The plans were approved. Out went dull, dented played out steel lockers, in came 200 Iight oak golf bag replacements, with integral bench seating, in the men’s changing room, and 60 holdall units, half a dozen golf bag lockers, vanities and computer desk in the ladies’ room, plus coin-operated visitor holdall lockers in each.

“Under what was a total refurbishment, we also fitted new windows to lighten the interior and chose fresh green carpeting to compliment the lockers,” Jon says.

Like every golf bag locker Fitlockers install, those at Robin Hood each features ventilation holes drilled through the solid oak base – an advance that only Fitlockers provide, which helps prevent condensation from wet golf equipment compromising locker interiors and, eventually, the structural integrity.

“Members were delighted with their new facilities,” Jon reports. “Fitockers’ installation team were friendly and professional and the company’s aftersales response was excellent, and they returned promptly to sort out any minor snags.”

While it selected traditional brass lock and key security, the club has plans to move to digital alternatives, Jon explains. “Members are always losing their locker keys – or they leave the club and forget to return them – so we will probably switch to code at some stage,” he says.

He adds: “All in all this was a very satisfying fitout by an extremely helpful, capable and professional company.”

www.fitlockers.co.uk