Another Victim of the Golfing Downturn

It was a very sad day when the closure of Staplehurst golf centre was announced. Colin and Marion Jenkins have been running the golf centre for over fifteen years and during that time it has been a vibrant and busy golf centre aimed at encouraging hundreds of new golfers to play every year. Due to the ongoing, gradual collapse of the golfing market, poor weather and therefore bad ground conditions for much of the winter and a few other factors, the difficult decision to close the golf centre was taken over the Christmas period. Staplehurst will cease trading as a golf facility forever at the end of January. One of the major issues for many facilities that are not in prime locations is that 18-hole courses, which for many years have kept up their standards and therefore repelled casual golfers, are now opening their doors in evermore willing eagerness to golfers regardless of their ability. Dress codes at most facilities have now been relaxed substantially. In some ways this is a victory for ‘open access to golf’ which is being championed by the smaller golf operators, but with trading difficult for everybody in the golf industry at present, this doesn’t help the plight of the nine hole operator. The Staplehurst site is owned freehold by Colin and Marion, so there will be a favourable financial resolution for them, but it is still a very sad time for all concerned. Colin added: “Over the years that we have been running Staplehurst we have had fabulous times. We have made lots of friends and greatly enjoyed running the golf centre in a friendly and customer-focused manner. We have tried to expand the facility to 18 holes, but were thwarted at the planning stage. With our location, just outside Staplehurst and about 8 miles south of Maidstone, the course is just too far from a major population to ever become really busy. As soon as the winter period of trading starts we are vulnerable to poor weather, which leaves our course undesirable – not a great product to offer the golfing public. We have noticed a strong downturn in trade during the winter period, even when the weather and course conditions have been good, with changing lifestyles being a factor, as well as other opportunities for leisure, such as watching Premier League Football – three matches were shown in succession on Boxing Day. Cycling has also become more popular and gives a better physical workout for those looking to get fit. “It is particularly hard on our staff and our regular customers whose social lives have been entwined with ours over the last 15 years. We are delighted that we have been able to form a close alliance with the Ridge Golf Club, just a few miles away and nearer to Maidstone. Our professional Scott Stevens has now taken up the position as head professional at the Ridge. It is an excellent 18 hole golf course, which is built on sand and therefore drains infinitely better than Staplehurst. The club is friendly and inviting and well priced, so much of the Staplehurst ethos will move just a few miles away.” The future for Staplehurst is not yet certain, with many options available. It is a fact that these days golf courses are far less viable then in previous years, and this trend may continue for some time.