Crown Golf is now a ‘property development company’
By Alistair Dunsmuir
The UK’s biggest golf club operator, Crown Golf, has said it has evolved from ‘a purely golf course operating business into a property development company’ as it announces plans to build 230 holiday lodges at one of its venues.
The firm, which operates 16 golf courses in the UK, has launched a new property business, and has said it will invest £30 million into its flagship venue, St Mellion International Resort, to tap into the lucrative ‘staycation’ family market.
It has partnered with Jason Mills’ boutique property development and investment company, Sequoia Real Estate, to progress a number of major residential and mixed-use development projects across its 3,500-acre landholding. Jason Mills is CEO of the new Crown Golf business.
The venture’s first project will be a £30 million investment in the St Mellion hotel and golf resort in Cornwall. A planning application submission to Cornwall Council seeks approval to build 230 holiday lodges, a wedding and events barn, a kids club, an adventure golf course and a farm shop.
Jason Mills said: “In May 2019, when I first became involved, there were offers on the table to buy St Mellion. Following a strategic review, we recognised the untapped potential, decided to retain it and make a significant capital investment.
“We have devised a masterplan to broaden St Mellion from its long-established and important underpinning as a golf-centric business, into a new family-friendly luxury resort.
“The cornerstone of our vision is building 230 single-storey cedarwood lodges, together with a range of new facilities to attract the family staycation market. These new facilities will very much complement the existing Nicklaus and Kernow championship golf courses, 80-bed hotel, 18-holiday cottages, gym, spa and conference / events space already on-site.
“There is no development proposed on either the Nicklaus or Kernow golf courses, and these will continue to function as currently designed.
“Subject to securing planning approval, we are planning to have a first phase of 25 lodges complete by autumn 2020.
“We are now working on a wider project to remodel the hotel and inject some character and personality. The first phase, the refurbishment of the gym, has just completed. Future phases will see improvements to the hotel rooms, restaurant, bar, spa and reception areas.
“We recognise that bricks and mortar projects alone will not deliver a new family friendly St Mellion. The importance of delivering a consistent first-class guest experience across all service areas must be front and centre of our new approach. We are now taking active steps to achieve this.”
The news comes as Dundonald Links has announced it has plans to ‘woo a major championship’ after it was given the green light to build more than 90 holiday lodges on its site.
Club plans to woo a ‘major championship’ by 2021 with multi-million pound transformation
In addition, Blyth Golf Club has said its future will be secured via a project that will see more than 90 homes built on its grounds.
Club given green light to build 92 homes to secure its future
By Alistair Dunsmuir
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They are currently ******** down Batchworth Park golf club. Have bullied and manipulated the club members, there is forceful security in place now to stop us playing and have changed the contracts to say they can kick us out the club whenever they want.
Pure ***** of a company who do not care about golf at all !
They should not be allowed near any golf clubs
Another nail in the golf coffin sadly, the golf market is almost empty.
When “mixed-use development” is part of the strategy, there are many possibilities ! Though it often takes a visionary and contrarian thinker to point them out and deliver efficient and creative use of resources ! Great to see and read ! Great success !