Hampshire golf club enters administration

A golf and country club in Hampshire has fallen into administration and been put up for sale.

Skylark Golf and Country club in Whiteley entered administration on July 11, with Kroll Advisory appointed to oversee the administration.

The club says it will continue to operate on a fully business as usual basis, honour all future events bookings, including weddings, and interest in purchasing the club and investing in it has already been shown.

In a statement released via its social media pages, the club said: “The joint administrators intend to continue to trade the business as normal whilst a purchaser is sought. As such, members and guests will continue to enjoy the use of the clubhouse, golf course and facilities as usual.”

Derek McNeill, general manager, said: “Whilst administration is never something to be welcomed, in this instance it affords the club an opportunity to exit the process with a new owner, investment in facilities, and a bright future all built upon the excellent foundations that are in place.

“Throughout the administration process, Skylark will continue to operate on a fully business as usual basis under the supervision of the administrators, with the support of Skylark’s lender.”

He said all future wedding and event bookings will still go ahead, with members being encouraged to still use the club. He added that there has been some initial buyer interest.

“I’m pleased to inform you that there has been interest from multiple groups and individuals regarding the sale of the club,” McNeill added. “This indicates a genuine potential for finding a new buyer.”

As well as an 18-hole golf course, the club also features a grade II listed 18th century barn, restaurant, bar, spa and gym facilities. The hotel is a popular venue for events such as weddings, with the venue having capacity for up to 180 guests and a late license on Fridays and Saturdays.

The club is part of the Just Develop It Group, which, in its group accounts for the year to January 31 2021 (its last available accounts), reported that “the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic did have an impact on the revenues [of] our leisure companies, with Skylark’s revenue reducing by £1.1m compared to the previous year”.

Image from Twitter

The report continued that the cost of sales had fallen 26.6 percent from a year earlier, adding that a “large portion of this reduced cost (£340k) is attributable to the golf club which endured a tough trading year due to the pandemic.”