A golf club in Hampshire that was acquired by another golf club that is to be converted into a housing estate has changed its name to the new owner.
The Dummer Golf Club, now called Basingstoke Golf Club, is also being significantly improved.
The property was acquired by the nearby Basingstoke Golf Club in June as its course is to be converted into a residential area of 1,000 apartments.
The new Basingstoke Golf Club will now build a new clubhouse and driving range and begin major course improvements.
A planning statement has been submitted to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
The clubhouse and other facilities will be open to the public, while the golf course will remain members-exclusive.
“The club intends to provide an improved golf course that is adapted to future needs and is economically viable in the long term,” said a spokesman for the club.
“By improving the golf course design, a more natural landscape is being created with more sporting diversity and strategy options for a large number of golfers. The geology of the new course consists mainly of free-flowing chalk, which allows good playability all year round. Changing the quality, size, shape and structure of all greens and improving the general playing surfaces create a more modern, challenging, sustainable and fun course. A high-tech driving range with covered bays and a direct covered connection to the new clubhouse for use in bad weather is planned for the redesign.
“The improvement of the current lowland location includes new areas of tree planting and grassland, important irrigation reservoirs, ponds and water features. These and other changes will improve and develop local ecology and biodiversity.
“A new clubhouse – which is thermally efficient and low in carbon – will be accessible to residents and effectively provide them with a new local facility.”
According to the building application: “The current course concept at Dummer is out of date in many ways. The lengths of the driving range and the fairways are comparatively short and not suitable for modern golf technologies (e.
“For similar reasons, the arrangement and distribution of the fairways is less interesting for golfers than a contemporary course design.
“Even if the golf course is in an attractive location, the quality of the existing contour and landscape design (on site) is comparatively poor. Some of the ponds and irrigation reservoirs are unattractive and functional and (due to their age) not designed to promote the improvement of biodiversity. It is also the case that while the space is being irrigated, it is not hydrologically reclaimed in order to stay green and green all year round.
“The existing clubhouse is also outdated and, although it is not unattractive, it has no particular architectural value. It was also built according to the building codes and regulations in force in the early 1990s. The clubhouse is therefore older than contemporary sustainable construction methods and energy / resource efficiency standards.
“A replacement clubhouse therefore offers the opportunity to introduce a contemporary, high-quality design in line with modern sustainability standards.”