Close House Hotel & Golf Club, Northumberland has announced the second phase of a continued £7.5 million development of their golf, hotel & conference facilities in the North East.
The £2.5 million state-of-the-art club house will feature floor to ceiling glass windows with panoramic views across the golf course and Tyne Valley, as well as one of the many lakes in the grounds. It will be clad in ancient stone sourced from the existing estate to ensure it remains in keeping with Grade II listed buildings in the area.
Keeping business in the region was a priority for Sage founder and North East entrepreneur Graham Wylie, who purchased the 18th Century Hotel & Golf course in 2004 from Newcastle University. Mr Wylie appointed Durham based contractors Morgan Ashurst to carry out the building work which commenced this week.
Donning his hard hat for the occasion, Graham Wylie commented: “It has always been my vision at Close House to create a premier golfing venue in the North East, and with the championship golf course and clubhouse due for completion by Spring 2011, our aim is to bring business to the North East from around the UK and beyond.
“We are delighted to have appointed Morgan Ashurst as the contractors for the clubhouse project; their portfolio speaks volumes for the quality we are striving to achieve at Close House”.
Morgan Ashurst, which has local offices in Belmont Business Park, Durham, is a leading full service construction business with a strong track record in the North East.
“We are thrilled to be chosen to construct such a flagship leisure development here in the North East” says Duncan Kidd, Morgan Ashurst Operations Manager. “We have a proven track record in delivering high quality leisure facilities. We will be using all this experience to help us deliver the best possible facilities for Close House Golf Club. As a local company, we are committed to spreading the benefits of our construction projects. For this reason, we will be using local suppliers and trades people whenever possible”.
Approximately 60 jobs will be created throughout the project, from the construction of the building through to employment of staff when the new club house and championship ‘Colt Course’ opens in 2011. A golf academy, driving range and specialised custom fit centre will be open to the public later this year.
The hotel and golf course, designed by Scott Macpherson of Turner Macpherson Golf Design – www.tmgolfdesign.com – are situated ten minutes from Newcastle city centre and Newcastle airport.
Close House Hotel & Golf Club www.closehouse.co.uk