Essex golf club to have unique dual-operation model

A golf club in Essex has, unprecedentedly, been bought by two organisations – one a company that will run its clubhouse, the other a charity that will operate the golf course.

It means the 27-hole Warley Park Golf Club has become a dual-operated facility.

The clubhouse and outdoor wedding venue will be run by Zayyaan Limited, a restaurant business which will invest in the refurbishment of the clubhouse and improvements to function facilities.

The golf course will be operated by Get Golfing CIO, a charity that encourages participation in golf for the purposes of improving the physical and mental health of its participants, and has now bought seven golf courses this year alone.

Golf course users will continue to have access to the clubhouse facilities, with ‘the two businesses working in parallel to mutual benefit’, according to a spokesman.

Set across 160 acres (65 hectares) of land, the golf club comprises 27 holes, as well as practice facilities and a 10,000 square feet (929 square metres) purpose built clubhouse. The 18 hole course extends to 6,250 yards, par 71 and there is an additional 2,923 yard, par 34 nine hole course.

Warley Park Golf Club

The golf course was originally constructed in 1976 as an 18-hole course and was extended to the current 27-hole layout two years later. With over 40 years in operation, Warley Park is now recognised as a mature and established course with a good reputation as a proprietary golf operation.

The property was offered to let on the open market in January and the opportunity generated significant interest which led to several bids being received on a closing date in February. It was then that the innovative lease structure was created to enable the clubhouse and outdoor wedding venue to be operated separately to the adjoining golf course.

Ian Simpson, a director at Savills, which marketed the venue in January, commented: “This is a landmark letting for two reasons. First, it is rare for a mature golf course business to be offered to let on the open market and secondly it is the first letting to combine two complementary business operations in the lease arrangements from the outset. That the lease completed within a few weeks of terms being agreed is a testament to the collaborative nature of the parties involved, and promises a successful future for Warley Park GC.”