Blacknest Golf & Country Club in Hampshire, which first opened in 1994, has been relaunched under new ownership and a new name, with the club’s 18-hole course having been converted into a 12-hole layout.
The Alton-based golf course, which was designed by Tom Mackenzie of Mackenzie & Ebert, forms the centrepiece of a new leisure resort called Mad Swans in the South Downs, which also features log cabins and glamping pods, a restaurant, padel and pickleball courts and a putting course.
The club joins a sister venue that opened in Wiltshire earlier this year called Mad Swans at The Mendips – on the site formerly known as Farrington Park Golf Club – and also boasts a 12-hole course.
The management team behind the Mad Swans concept are Longshot founders Joel Cadbury and Ollie Vigors, the same team that launched Beaverbrook Golf Club in Surrey, and includes creative input from multi-Michelin starred chef and strategic investor Ollie Dabbous.
Paul Creamer, who previously served as head professional at Blacknest, has taken on the role of sports manager at the site, and will also look after all the golf operations and coaching.
The par-47 golf course, which features four par-3s, three par-5s and five par-4s, has opened for a soft launch, before fully opening next spring, with tee times available from Thursday to Sunday from October 2 up until November 30. To make a booking, click here.