Golfers visiting Kent’s famous ‘Regal Golf Coast’ every year will shortly be able to stay in their very own ‘clubhouse by the sea’.
Thanks to a major renovation project, the former clubhouse at Prince’s Golf Club is being developed into a luxury Lodge and Dormy House that will be able to cater for 80 travelling golfers keen to sample the very best Kent golf has to offer.
The ‘Lodge’ is located adjacent to the beach by the 5th green at Prince’s and the 14th tee of Royal St George’s Golf Club, which is set to host golf’s Open Championship in 2011, and is a landmark building featuring prominently in television coverage of previous Opens at Sandwich.
The building had been gutted by fire and has been sitting derelict until planning permission was granted, allowing the multi-million pound development to go ahead.
Now, work is underway to develop12 apartments and 16 en-suite rooms. While part of the Lodge will be open in time for next year’s Open Championship – and the exterior will be in good order – a date for final completion has yet to be announced.
Michael Lovett, General Manager of Prince’s Golf Club, venue of the 1932 Open Championship, said: “This is much more than just a place for visiting golfers to rest their heads after a day on the links. There will be a spike bar, dining facilities and we’ll also be able to cater for all manner of corporate events during Open week and all year round.”
In addition, The Lodge at Prince’s, which is expected to receive a high quality grading, will have a snooker room and gymnasium, not to mention glorious views over Pegwell Bay.
Sandra Matthews-Marsh, Chief Executive of Visit Kent said: “This is a wonderful addition that will help attract even more golfers to the county. The fact that the Lodge will be able to house 80 golfers will be of significant benefit to golf courses on the coast and inland, and enhance the already excellent variety of quality graded hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs in the region.”
Kent’s Regal Golf Coast, which features Royal St George’s and Prince’s, plus the equally highly-rated layouts at Royal Cinque Ports, Littlestone and North Foreland, is part of Kent’s world-class golf offering that also includes the championship courses at Chart Hills (ranked 82nd in Golf World magazine’s Top 100 Courses in the UK and Ireland) and London Golf Club, a European Tour Destination.
For more information about golf in Kent and the chance to win a two-night golf break, visit www.visitkentgolf.co.uk
Prince’s Golf Club www.princesgolfclub.co.uk