For golfers, the idea of the club that they play at being knocked down can sometimes feel like something of a fantasy. When you’ve topped your tenth shot of the day and managed to turn yet another two-putt into a three-putt at least, the thought will almost certainly enter your head that the course would be a much better use of space if it were razed to the ground and turned into something else. That is the reality that is facing some golfers in a village not far from Guildford, who face the possibility of seeing their club replaced with 650 homes. As you might imagine, though, not everyone is happy with the plans that have been put forward.
Sutton Green Golf Club
Selling itself as being located in the ‘tranquil Surrey countryside’, Sutton Green Golf Club is located between Woking and Guildford. Although it is described as one of the county’s ‘premier golf clubs’, it also states on the club’s website that it offers ‘golfing excellence at an affordable price’. The par 71 course is set over 6,433 yards, promising golfers 18 holes that are protected by five lakes, numerous bunkers and mature trees lining the fairways. The play itself is boosted by a state-of-the-art irrigation system, which is there to make sure that the tees, fairways and greens are in perfect condition, irrespective of the weather.
The clubhouse is a friendly place to pop into if you want to get a drink at the bar or sit out on the terrace, being well-equipped enough to mean that players can make use of the lockers or head to the pro shop if they’re looking for some new balls or advice on clubs. Both members and visitors are welcome at the club, which has a range of different membership types available for you to take advantage of, including the likes of a full seven-day membership or a more flexible, pay-as-you-play variation. If the golf itself isn’t for you, perhaps you’d like to get involved in the likes of Friday Quiz Night. With all that in mind, why is it being sold?
Club Owners Want It Redeveloped
You would be forgiven for thinking that those involved in the club would want to see it protected from any kind of redevelopment, given the loyalty that golfers tend to have to the club that they are a member of. Whether the owners have had one too many bad rounds or they have simply had their heads turned by the amount of money that they’ve been offered isn’t clear, but what we do know is that this isn’t the first time that such plans have been put forward. The course first opened in 1994, having been designed by Dame Laura Davies, with plans submitted in 2022 aiming to turn it into a retirement community before being withdrawn.
Those plans would’ve seen the course destroyed in order to make way for 200 new houses and a 66-bed care home, but the initial application was unsuccessful before being withdrawn entirely. That hasn’t stopped developers Quinn Estates from coming forward with another plan, this time abandoning any pretence of being for a care home and instead looking to see the 40-acre site turned into 650 homes. There would also be the requirement to add the associated infrastructure, parking and open space that such a development would need, which has resulted in a promise for a publicly accessible country park being added.
Concerns Over Green Belt
One of the major objections to the idea of turning the golf club into a housing development comes in the form of a loss of green belt land. Leslie Rice, a councillor in Woking, described the course as an ‘oasis for biodiversity and natural wildlife’, warning that all of that will be lost if the new houses get the go-ahead. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the developers have said that it is ‘grey belt’ and have suggested that the houses it would like to build are ‘much needed’ for the area. Grey belt is ‘poor quality’ green belt that the government has identified as being perfect for faster housing to be built on, but Rice disagrees that the golf course is that.
Instead, the councillor pointed to the fact that deer can often be seen roaming the golf course, with the actual site of the course being ‘an area of natural wildlife’. He said, “People need housing. We need affordable housing. But I don’t think this is the answer.” He went on to say that the 40-acre site was ‘an integral part of the green belt between Woking and Guildford’. The fact that the course currently leads onto a country road rather than a main road means that traffic is a major concern, fearing that the 950 parking spaces that are being included in plans would see the area overtaken by new road traffic.
Meanwhile, a local resident pointed out that they have great-crested newts in their garden, which are protected. Similarly, the grass snakes that they have in their garden are also protected, whilst bats roost in their house. The road has previously been subjected to flooding and numerous accidents over the years, which means that most residents are entirely against the idea of the green belt being ‘destroyed’. For their part, Quinn Estates have said that half of the homes would be affordable, whilst a care home will also be included in the plans, along with commercial space and infrastructure to benefit ‘existing and future residents’.