American Golf, Europe’s largest golf retailer, has bought High Legh Park Golf Club in Cheshire in a £2.7m deal that marks the first time the retailer has owned an entire golf complex.
The High Legh Park Golf Club investment, facilitated by specialist golf and leisure brokerage, HMH Golf & Leisure, supports the fast-expanding company’s strategy for growth.
The purchase of the Knutsford-based venue, where American Golf already had a store, is the latest in a line of sizeable site investments made by the company.
The business recently invested £650,000 in its Trafford superstore in Greater Manchester and overhauled its outlets in Milton Keynes and Hull, as well as creating a new flagship store in New Malden, Surrey, with its revamped Netherley, Liverpool store scheduled to open in early May.
The retailer has also put significant investment into new golf ranges in Rossendale in Lancashire and Hemingford Abbots in Cambridgeshire. Developing golf ranges is a key part of American Golf’s growth strategy, with the increased facilities offering more of a leisure destination and widening the audience appeal.
Gary Favell, American Golf’s CEO, said: “High Legh Park Golf Club is a seamless addition to our site portfolio and being in such close proximity to our own headquarters in Warrington, it aligns perfectly with our growth strategy.
“We’re looking forward to investing in the site for the local community and to provide members with the very best facilities. The site appeals perfectly to both male and female players of all abilities – and we’re even more excited about the potential of the Junior Academy, which will inspire and develop future golfers. High Legh Park is the perfect site for us to continue widening the sport’s appeal.”
In addition to a 3,000 square foot American Golf store, High Legh Park boasts an 18-hole course, a 9-hole course, a 6-hole pitch and putt course, a 23-bay floodlit driving range, and a 1,000 square foot clubhouse, which boasts a bar and restaurant which overlooks the main course.
Tom Marriott of HMH Golf & Leisure, the agents that handled the sale, said: “This is a fantastic new facility for American Golf to grow its brand and presence in the market. The sale generated a number of interested parties, however the existing on-site shop of American Golf made this sale a natural fit. The golf market generally is very strong with plenty of new buyers coming into a market with limited stock.”