The Bendinat Group, the owner of the Royal Bendinat Golf Club in Mallorca, has acquired The London Golf Club, situated off the A20 near Brands Hatch and only 25 miles from London, for an undisclosed price.
George Pando, director of The Royal Bendinat Golf Club, said, “This is a great opportunity for two top ranking yet environmentally friendly courses to be joined together cementing the long standing relationship that the British have had with the Balearic island of Mallorca.”
The London Golf Club, surrounded by the Kent countryside, has two championship courses and a superb clubhouse all set in around 600 acres. It is only ten years old and was built to an exceptionally high specification by a Japanese investor. Total development costs are thought to have been around £30 million.
The purchase price has not been disclosed but the published guide price was £8 million and the deal has been described as ‘the largest golf transaction for a decade‘ . The sale was handled by Chesterton HMH, the London based team of golf and leisure property specialists.
The Heritage course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and the International by Ron Kirby, the senior course designer for Nicklaus, both with par 72. The International has the character of an inland links course with grasses that are usually seen on the coast. The Heritage, which has more traditional grasses in a parkland setting, has been planted with more trees and has 179 bunkers.
Both courses have been kept in excellent condition with a strong team of green keeping staff. There is a large practice area with golf academy.
The club house encompasses a partly oak panelled and beamed great hall, four conference rooms, restaurants, pro shop, luxurious locker rooms, indoor and outdoor spa bath and sauna.
The Bendinat Group, which on the whole tries to avoid publicity, was founded in 1980. The company prides itself as a sympathetic and first-class developer of residential, commercial and leisure properties. The Royal Bendinat Golf Club, whose Honorary President is King Juan Carlos, opened in 1986. It was designed by Martin Hawtree and is one of the most impressive on the island.
The Bendinat Group has long-term plans to add new facilities at The London Club and it is understood that the rights of current members will not be compromised by the new owners. Indeed there will be reciprocal arrangements between the two clubs.
The Royal Bendinat Golf Club is a member of the Audubon Society of New York, which is one of the top ecological groups in the world. The Royal Bendinat has created a remarkable reserve for wildlife and flora on its course and, under its new owners, a similar approach to ecological management is expected at The London Golf Club.
www.londongolf.co.uk
Chesterton HMH www.chestertonhmh.com