Austin Lodge Golf Club (Kent) For Sale

GVA Humberts Leisure is instructed by Pentland Golf to market Austin Lodge Golf Club, Eynsford, which is located close to the M25 Motorway, within easy reach of Sevenoaks, Bromley and Dartford in Kent. Offers in the region of £1.785 million are invited for the freehold property.

Austin Lodge Golf Club occupies 113 hectares (279 acres) amidst tranquil surroundings set within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The property comprises a challenging 18 hole 6,575 yard (par 73) golf course laid out through a series of valleys; a practice ground and practice putting green; and a modern, refurbished c. 520 sq m (5,600 sq ft) two storey clubhouse, along with purpose built greenkeeping facilities. Austin Lodge Golf Club opened in 1992. The Club currently trades predominantly on a pay and play basis, but has a core of members.

The business achieves a turnover in the region of £730,000, typically 68% golf income, 23% food & beverage income and 9% retail / miscellaneous income. The Club is considered ripe for commercialisation, particularly the food and beverage operation, which historically has been franchised.The sale is being handled by Ben Allen who heads the golf team for GVA Humberts Leisure.

Ben Allen comments: "Austin Lodge Golf Club is being offered to the market as it is remote from our client’s other business interests and thus they have not been able to focus on the Club as much as they had hoped. This property offers the opportunity to acquire a trading leisure business with significant growth potential, backed by an extensive land holding, close to London and the M25 Motorway. Following our successful sales of a number of golf courses in the South East we expect significant interest in Austin Lodge Golf Club.”

For further information on Austin Lodge Golf Club please contact Ben Allen BSc (Hons) MRICS on ben.allen@gva.co.uk or 020 7911 2360.www.gva.co.uk/humbertsleisure.

Savills Sells Roserrow Golf & Country Club, Cornwall

Savills has sold Roserrow Golf & Country Club in Polzeath to the 360 Golf group. The property was marketed at a guide price of £1.75 million.

The 230 acre (93 hectare) golf and leisure complex is attractively positioned on the North Cornwall coast, three miles from the popular tourist destination of Rock. The property comprises an 18 hole golf course, 12 bay practice range, clubhouse, health and fitness club and greenkeeper’s building. In addition to this there is planning permission for seven holiday homes as well as land with further development potential.

Kay Griffiths of Savills leisure team comments: "Roserrow Golf and Country Club is a well established golf and leisure complex with planning permission to enable further holiday home development, and potential for a variety of further projects. Its prime North Cornwall location attracted interest from developers and golf operators. The new owners 360 Golf Ltd have rebranded the facility "The Point at Polzeath” and have already started the process of making wholesale change to every element of the offering.”

Mytime Active has purchased Orpington Golf Centre in Kent, from Crown Golf.

Crown Golf has traded the property since January 2005, following its acquisition of American Golf (AGUK). The club was originally founded in the early seventies and offers 53 holes of golf, driving range and teaching academy together with retail and food and beverage facilities.
On the sale, Stephen Lewis, CEO of Crown Golf, comments: "We are extremely pleased to be passing on this property to a new owner who has great ambition for the site. I would like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to all the Orpington Golf Centre staff for their hard work and diligence during the sale process, and wish them every success under the new ownership. I would also like to thank all our customers for their loyalty during our period of ownership, and to wish them continued enjoyment of Orpington Golf Centre under the new ownership of Mytime Active.
Mytime Active Chief Executive Steve Price said, "Orpington will be a great addition to our growing range of golf courses and will complement those we already manage at High Elms (Farnborough), Bromley, Barnehurst (Bexley) and Cobtree (Maidstone). As a social enterprise we are committed to improving quality and value, and we’re looking forward to meeting customers to discuss potential future improvements.”

Further information: Crown Golf - Stephen Lewis CEO, Crown Golf 01344 383975
Mytime Active – Brian Turpin, Communications Manager 020 8323 1782
www.mytimeactive.co.uk

Abby Moor Golf Club for Sale

A 9 hole course in a great location, just inside the M25 close to Addlestone in Surrey’s golfing heartland.
Paul Newton originally built the Abbey Moor Golf Course in 1989 and he and his team have been operating it ever since as a family run 9 hole golf course. The club is used as a pay and play course by many and there is also a membership option for those who wish to play more regularly. The course comes complete with pro shop, changing rooms, office, greenkeeper buildings and equipment. There is a very large clubhouse and licensed function area available by separate negotiation. The tenure is currently leasehold, but there is an opportunity to purchase the freehold of the property as well.
The course is set in just under 50 acres of attractively landscaped grounds and has a par of 68 for the 18 holes – the second nine are played from different tees for variety. Best of all, Abbey Moor is a friendly club, as Paul explains:

"The business has been a labour of love for us and we have made so many friends over the years here. Unfortunately, we now need to retire as age and health issues have begun to take their toll. We shall be very sad to move on, but it is now time for someone else to take the business forward.”

For more details please contact Paul Newton on: 01932 564169

Savills scores a hole in one with sale at Mollington Grange, Chester

International real estate advisor Savills has represented joint LPA receivers, Mr Jonathan Pope and Mr Brian Green, from KPMG on the sale of Mollington Grange Golf Club to a golf operator for a price in excess of the £795,000 guide.
The asset comprises a modern 9,687 sq ft (900 sq m) clubhouse, a 4,864 sq ft (451 sq m) greenkeepers building and an 18 hole, 6,611 yard par 73 golf course all set within an attractive position within the Chester Greenbelt.
Kay Griffiths, associate at Savills Oxford, comments: "Whilst there was interest in Mollington Grange for redevelopment into an alternative use, the golf club has been purchased by a golf operator who intends to continue the business. The facilities offer undoubted potential to deliver a commercial return, assisted by an attractive and accessible location. It was therefore no surprise that Mollington Grange experienced a strong level of interest from a variety of investors and secured a good price in the current market conditions.”

Savills Sells Norfolk Golf And Country Club

The Norfolk Golf and Country Club, advised by Savills, has sold its golf and leisure complex, which was on the market for £1.6 million.

The 159 acre rural site located in central north Norfolk will revert to its original use as farmland and the clubhouse will be put to a suitable compatible use.

Kay Griffiths, from Savills Leisure team, comments, "The underlying property asset comprises an extensive area of attractive land with an array of buildings that provide the opportunity to explore other uses appropriate for this location. The conversion of the golf course back to farmland is a reflection of pressure that has been faced by some rural Golf Club owners who are subject to a lot of competition in a challenging economic climate. In the case of The Norfolk it was concluded that in light of declining income and continually increasing costs, the golf and leisure business was no longer viable."

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Cape Cornwall Golf, Hotel and Leisure Resort

ALL SERIOUS OFFERS CONSIDERED

Situated in a spectacular position on the cliff tops overlooking the Brisons on the Heritage Coast west of St Just, Cape Cornwall is exceptionally well-placed to capitalise on the area’s popularity as a leading tourist destination. With 8 popular hotel bedrooms, a burgeoning function trade and a charming clubhouse which has been stylishly updated by the current owner the sale of Cape Cornwall presents a unique and exciting opportunity to acquire a true destination business. Add to this valuable planning consent to redevelop a disused 19^th Century water tower into an exceptional private house and potential, subject to obtaining the necessary consents, to develop other holiday accommodation and Cape Cornwall has all the ingredients for future success.

Chris Gooch handling the sale said: "For anyone looking for a new business or a lifestyle change Cape Cornwall with its inspiring location presents an exciting opportunity. Furthermore and due to poor health the vendor wishes to expedite the sale so if you have funds available and can move quickly all serious offers will be considered.”

Strutt & Parker’s Leisure and Hotels Department is instructed to sell Cape Cornwall Golf and Leisure Resort.

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GVA AQUIRES HUMBERTS LEISURE

This week GVA exchanged contracts with Humberts Leisure, the leading UK golf and leisure property specialist, to acquire the business. GVA will complete the acquisition of the business later this month, creating one of the UK’s strongest leisure offers.
The new leisure unit, to be named GVA Humberts Leisure, will bring together the specialist leisure advisory expertise of Humberts Leisure, GVA’s existing hotels and leisure capability and the resources and national network of one of the UK’s leading property consultants.
This strategic acquisition marks a major statement of intent by GVA, currently the seventh largest property advisor in the country, to establish the company as one of the UK’s leading leisure consultants, with in depth specialist expertise across all leisure sectors.
GVA’s existing Hotels & Leisure team, led by James Williamson and Ian Thompson, is particularly focused on hotels, so the acquisition will allow the company to effectively tap into the wider UK leisure sector. This will include pubs and licensed property, hotels, general leisure, holiday property and caravan parks, golf courses, sports complexes and venues, urban leisure, water-based leisure, visitor enterprises and institutional property.

Rob Bould, Chief Executive of GVA, comments:

"We’re delighted to confirm our commitment to acquire such a prestigious business as Humberts Leisure. At this stage in the economic cycle, this is a first class acquisition of what is undoubtedly one of the country’s leading specialists in its field, which builds on the hard work and determination of our existing team. It also illustrates our leading contra-cyclical approach to gaining market share through the acquisition of a robust business ready for further expansion.
"The move introduces a number of highly impressive specialist leisure chartered surveyors, planners and consultants to further supplement our existing team. The leisure sector requires a highly specialised skills set and it is important to us that we can deliver to our clients the best possible advice in these challenging times.”

John Anderson, Executive Chairman of Humberts Leisure comments: "We’re delighted to have agreed the merger with GVA as this provides us with a strong platform from which to drive our growth strategy. Integration of the two complementary leisure teams is a tremendous enhancement to our national leisure service.”

Ben Allen, Director HLL Humberts Leisure and golf property specialist, said: "The formation of GVA Humberts Leisure is very good news for us and our clients. Our specialist golf and leisure sector skills plus the strength of GVA’s national network of offices combine to create a very powerful force. Our offering and service to golf sector clients will undoubtedly be enhanced by this merger.”