Fortunately, Get Golfing and its energetic CEO Ed Richardson, a veteran of the elite amateur circuit and an experienced club manager, knows what it takes to get a golf club back on its feet, and together with course manager Richard Covey and general manager Dan Lucking, the team set about rising this particular golfing phoenix from the flames.
Having spent his formative years at Hankley Common and Liphook, Covey has experience of preparing some of the UK’s finest inland courses, and through hard work and access to Get Golfing’s investment, he has succeeded in returning the course to a standard where the county unions are happy for the course to host tournaments, while a Clutch Pro Tour event is also in the offing.
With the fairways now pristine, the greens running fast and true, and the bunkers benefitting from a full renovation programme, with raised faces making them more visible from the tee, conditions on the 6,235-yard links-style layout are just about perfect for the busy summer season that lies ahead. Ringed by mature woodland, giving it a lovely secluded feel, the layout boasts rolling fairways that weave between sculptured mounds, while 23 acres of lakes, fringed with bulrushes, reeds and lilies, give the course its distinctive characteristic with water ever-present.
Separated into two loops, providing a choice of starting positions, every hole is different and while the course may not be the longest by modern standards, a good score will require careful strategy and use of every club in the bag. Longer hitters may well be tempted to take on the challenge of longer carries, yet the design gives the less experienced player a safer route to make par.
While it is a specialist golf operator, Get Golfing recognises the importance of a club’s social side, and in that respect it has left no stone unturned in the desire to make it a venue that you’d be happy to visit with or without your clubs. The light and airy clubhouse, whose transformation was celebrated at a big party on May 20, has benefitted from a complete makeover, with several rooms being repurposed to create a stylish and seamless experience that gives it a sports bar/leisure club vibe that feels welcoming and somewhere you’d want to hang out, whether for a post-round meal, a weekend brunch, a business meeting, or somewhere to watch a sporting event on huge flatscreen TVs.
The internal space is cleverly divided to provide a separate space for weddings and private parties, while a wrap-around patio overlooking the 12th and 18th greens almost doubles the footprint available for hosting members and visitors. Huge bi-folding doors enhance the feeling of space, creating a smooth transition between inside and out, while an open kitchen with a serving hatch that opens up to the patio provides the opportunity for golfers to grab a quick snack and a drink en route to the first or 10th tee. Two kitchens, including one with a wood-fired pizza oven and an Argentinian grill – show the ambition of the club to offer more than your standard sandwich platter and chips combo – although they can do that too – and shows why Pyrford is also proving a popular venue for those for whom chasing a small white ball has no appeal.
The improved course and the stylish clubhouse has proved an attractive proposition to golfers too, with the club now enjoying an extremely healthy membership of over 950, spread between 7-day, 5-day, Intermediate and Flexible members. The latter is a points-based scheme that enables points to be exchanged for tee times, with the number of points depending on day, time and holes played. It enables golfers to join the Get Golfing family for as little as £250, with points being able to be used at any of the company’s other 10 venues, including nearby Hampton Court Palace, North Downs in Surrey, Redlibbets in Kent, and the most recent addition, Winter Hill in Berkshire.
Membership fees are paid by monthly by direct debit, and with no joining fee and no big upfront annual membership costs, the barrier to entry is kept low, ensuring golfers can find a membership that suits their budget and their schedule. In line with its remit to grow the game, Get Golfing doesn’t charge a membership fee for juniors, so it’s not surprising that the club boasts a strong group of U18s, with 170 youngsters enjoying the freedom to use the club’s course and practice facilities at no cost, before hopefully staying with the club when they hit adulthood.
Whether it’s to play golf – club, social or society – host a family or business function or simply enjoy a bite to eat, Pyrford Lakes ticks all the boxes and plenty more besides. But don’t take my word for it – although you definitely should – come and experience it for yourself!
To book a tee time, visit golf.pyrfordgolf.co.uk/visitorbooking. To enquire about membership, visit pyrfordgolf.co.uk or call 01483 723555. For more information about Get Golfing, visit getgolfing.org