Winter Hill Golf Clubthe Berkshire-based club formerly owned by John Lewis Partnership, has been taken over on a long-term lease by Get golfwhich is a registered charity established in 2018, and the number of its clubs has increased to ten on the back of its recent acquisition.
The sale of the long-term lease to Get Golfing comes as part of a series of cost-cutting measures announced by John Lewis earlier this year in response to declining sales at the chain and Waitrose stores nationwide.
The deal, which is due to close on April 28, will see the Cookham-based course become the 10th club in Get Golfing’s portfolio, all of which – Ansty Golf Club bar in Coventry – are located in the south-east of England and include Hampton Court Palace, Burford, Mill Green, North Downs and Ridleypits Golf and Country Club.
Get Golfing has stated that it plans to invest in both a golf course and clubhouse at Winter Hill with the aim of making the venue more accessible to a wider section of the community.
Edward Richardson, CEO of Get Golfing, added: “When we first heard about the plans to close the course, sell the land, and disband the club, we immediately rallied, reached out to our contacts, and started reaching out to John Lewis. They have been receptive to our cause and plans, and we can’t thank them enough.” to support them.”
News of the takeover comes as a huge relief to members of the club, which was originally set to close at the end of March but will now remain open under its new tenants.
Jane Oehlenschlager, captain of the Winter Hill women’s team, commented: “We are delighted for all the members of the club. Winter Hill means a lot to us and we are delighted with this result. Get Golfing has a proven track record. We’ve also spoken with members of other Get Golfing Clubs and can see that they are deeply committed to the game. We’re also on the same page when it comes to community engagement. Through their management and our enthusiastic support for our club and its membership, we are really excited about our future and being able to make an even more positive local impact.”