Horsham Golf, which operates a 27-hole golf facility and driving range in West Sussex, has unveiled plans for building 800 homes on its land, which will see the 18-hole course close and a new 9-hole academy course created.
The club was recently subject to a 50 percent acquisition by property firm Generator Group, which wants to convert the 137-acre site into ‘Horsham Golf and Fitness Village’ should it get planning approval.
The site, which is also home to Horsham Football Club, with a stadium and training facility, is set to become the new home of The Golf College, an educational facility for 50 sixth form age students seeking to pursue a career in golf. The college has been based at Lindfield Golf Club in Haywards Heath since 2007.
According to plans outlined by the Generator Group, the golf facilities at the new-look site would include a 9-hole golf course, a training course, mini golf, a driving range and a new clubhouse.
The closure of the 18-hole Oaks Golf Course, which was designed by Phil Sparks and Richard Myers and opened in 2016, would create space for 800 new homes. The site would also include a shop, café, community hub and co-working space for residents, along with allotments, community gardens and parkland.
In addition to providing a new base fo the Golf College, the site would also provide a permanent new home for Horsham Hockey Club and for charity Warren Clark Golfing Dreams.
The Generator Group is to submit a formal planning application on its proposals to Horsham District Council later this year, with the current plans now at a public consultation phase.
Horsham Golf is owned by PGA Professional Neil Burke and business partner Matthew Allen, with the company also owning Horne Park Golf Club in Surrey and Foxbridge Golf Club in West Sussex.
