The first phase in the development of a new, multi-million pound 18 hole championship golf course has just begun at Stapleford Park, one of England’s most beautiful stately homes and country estates. It follows the unprecedented success of the 3 hole golf academy which opened there last year.
Over the next twelve months Donald Steel, one of the world’s top links golf course architects, will oversee the £5 million development, set within 500 acres of Capability Brown parkland. The site, the fifth on which Donald Steel has worked for The Carnegie Club, has outstanding views of the Leicestershire countryside yet it will embody many of the features found on the great links courses of Scotland.
The former home of Lord and Lady Gretton, Stapleford Park is little more than one hour from London and has been widely acclaimed as a most luxurious and enjoyable destination. Already voted top UK venue for leisure facilities in 1998 by readers of Condà© Nast Traveller magazine, its magnificent Grade II Victorian stables will be converted to the Clubhouse and a secondary spa whilst retaining many original features.
Peter de Savary, The Carnegie Club’s founder and Chairman, will host a celebration of the final phase of the course’s construction on 11th September. The course is scheduled to open in July 2000. It is one of three courses currently being developed by Peter de Savary and designed by Donald Steel. The others are in the United States of America: at Cherokee Plantation in Charleston, South Carolina scheduled to open in November 1999 and Carnegie Abbey at Newport, Rhode Island which is due to open in June 2000.