The prestigious venue, situated in Welwyn, Herts, once home to two Prime ministers – Lord Melbourne and Lord Palmerston, and a favourite country retreat of royalty including Queen Victoria, will launch the new Melbourne Club on 1st September. The inauguration will feature The Melbourne Cup – a competition for which golfers will compete for a coveted trophy made from the steering wheel of 
Lord Brocket’s cherished Ferrari.
The new Melbourne Club will harness its iconic setting within a grand rural estate with two acclaimed championship golf courses; first class golf academy famed for nurturing emerging talent; par 3 practice course and state of the art swing studio along with steam room, sauna, bar, brasserie, snug, terrace, event spaces for business meetings and private events, and restaurant.
The membership experience will differentiate itself from most other clubs in that it will include access to outdoor pursuits, art exhibitions, culinary, fine wine, and musical events in both the clubhouse and stately home itself, while visiting golfers who want to take on the distinct challenges posed by the parkland Melbourne and woodland Palmerston courses, can take advantage of accommodation in Melbourne Lodge on the estate.
The man responsible for the changing fortunes at the club is experienced golf and resort operator Michael Longshaw – the Chief Executive of International Golf & Resort Management appointed to run Brocket Hall by the new owners of the property.
Longshaw, whose company has been working on golf development projects around the world, many with Sir Nick Faldo, with whom he built the Laguna Lang Course in Vietnam, worked at Brocket Hall from 1996 to 2007 in which time he opened the Palmerston course; the award-winning restaurant Auberge du Lac and the Faldo Institute, as well as hosting the Laura Davies Invitational.
Michael Longshaw explains: “The opening of the Melbourne Club signifies a new era in the evolution of Brocket Hall. Our highly-acclaimed golf courses and state-of-the-art practice facilities are now coupled with a raft of lifestyle experiences that add up to a much more exclusive members club.”
“With the owners totally committed to the long-term future of the golf club and solid management securely in place, we are now striving to further improve the quality of our courses for the benefit of our members and to enable us to stage world class events here. We are also offering our membership a variety of social and cultural events, hitherto not available, while working with well-known companies to add increased lifestyle benefits to our members and their partners. We have a great deal to announce over the next few months. The future looks promising.”
Brocket Hall https://www.brocket-hall.co.uk/
International Golf & Resort Management http://www.igrm.co.uk/