Members express “sadness and frustration” over a golf club’s proposal to rewild a sizable portion of their Dartmoor course.
“Early stage” plans for Teign Valley Golf Club include a new 12-hole circuit in place of the existing 18-hole layout, according to the club’s owners, 360 Sycamore Ltd.
It warned that the club would close in the absence of this “major investment”.
According to member Tony Landau, the plans “didn’t improve anything for the membership”.
He went on, “We have no bad intentions toward them. Although they are free to manage the club whatever they like, we would much rather this didn’t happen.”
Anthony Landau
TONY LANDAU
According to Tony Landau’s image caption, the group were going through a “minor bereavement”.
A new course “like an opulent pitch and putt for vacationers,” according to senior members skipper Mr. Landau.
We play a lot of games, have mixed sections, and we all love it, so we like to think of ourselves as the nicest golf club in the South West,” he continued.
“This feels like we are all suffering a minor bereavement.”
Bryan Logan
The caption of the image stated that Bryan Logan would miss the club because it had grown to be such a significant part of his life.
New trees, woods, grassland, and wildflower planting are all included on the proposal’s website, along with a 12-hole course, eco-friendly accommodations, and a farmstead.
The website stated that the goal was to establish a “inclusive, family-friendly high-quality visitor destination,” with 84% of golfers being adult males.
A representative from 360 Sycamore said in a statement to the BBC: “We are currently proposing a new future for Teign Valley Golf that would see a significant return of nature to the course.
“This will involve extensive areas of the existing golf course land being given back to species-rich habitats such as developing Atlantic rainforest, diverse grasslands, scrub and wetlands.”
Golf Club Teign Valley
“Nature return on a grand scale” was the stated goal in the image caption, according to the club proprietors.
He claimed that along with the introduction of Padel tennis and Pickleball, course designer Tom Mackenzie has created designs for a redesigned 12-hole course.
Simultaneously, eco cottages that were more “environmentally and economically sustainable” would replace a “outdated” proposal for 19 bedrooms on the car park property.
The “Forever Club”
Two-year member Bryan Logan expressed his “sadness” at noting that while he could see the “business case” for change, he personally felt otherwise.
“It’s a large part of my life, quite sadly I play there an awful lot,” he replied.
I assumed that the club would be mine forever.
“Everybody is looking at where we can go next which will, in effect, break up that social group.”
Dale Hurrell, a former member, expressed regret for the “loss of a community” and expressed concern that the honors boards might “end up on a skip”.
The changes would eliminate the club’s competitive potential, he claimed, adding that “no serious golfer” would travel to the planned course.
TONY LANDAU .
Description of the image: Mr. Landau has been a member for thirteen years.
Teign Valley Golf Club is not financially or environmentally sustainable in its current condition, according to a representative for 360 Sycamore.
A significant investment is urgently required, not the least because the irrigation system—which is essential to any golf course—is no longer functional.
“Without significant changes, the course would have to close permanently.”
According to him, stakeholder interaction is still happening and plans are in their early stages.
Following up on its pre-planning advice, Dartmoor National Park stated that it was aware of ideas and that “when an application is submitted, it will follow the usual planning determination process.”
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