Pleasington Golf Club enters new era with £1m restoration

The whole course has been overhauled to restore the heathland layout to its former glory under the club’s Good2Great vision, but it's not just on the links where major changes have occurred.

Facing financial issues that are a wider issue around the sport, its members took the brave decision to carry out a major overhaul of operations, which has paid dividends and then some.

With a board of directors in place and a real strategic vision for the club’s future, it has hit several major milestones already and has its sights set on improving further.

The renovated 14th hole, with Darwen Tower in the distance  (Image: NQ Staff)

A major part of this vision is that the club is passionate about not just being in Blackburn, but of Blackburn.

Gone are the days of blazers and snobbery; inclusivity and accessibility are now at the heart of its ethos while maintaining the club’s prestigious reputation.

The clubhouse this glorious Tuesday afternoon is proof of that, buzzing with dozens of female players taking part in Lady President’s Day enjoying their lunch, and dozens more still out on the course as part of a thriving ladies’ section.

Golf has an age problem in general, but Pleasington has cut the average age of its membership by 10 years to 55 through its work in engaging young people.

A visit to its driving range on a Saturday sees children from all corners of the town learning the game under the watchful eye of professional Tony Wesson, helping children develop their skills in a fun, relaxed setting.

Many of these young people have gone on from learners to skilled players with brothers Owais and Ahmed Musa among those, the latter having won the club’s prestigious Solario Cup.

New heather and wild grasses have been planted around bunkers to create a more natural feel (Image: NQ Staff)

Engaging and welcoming the town’s Asian community has also been at the forefront of the club’s vision, with a membership reflective of the town and an offering that caters for all.

Club director Peter Bedford said: “In the 22 years I’ve been here the demographics have changed massively, from a private members club to being a lot more diverse and welcoming, and we’re thriving.

“We have more juniors, more women; we have a waiting list for memberships. For any business to work it has to be tied to the community and we have worked very hard on that.

“We’ve fought hard to change the club’s culture and become more relaxed and inclusive, and that’s one of our great successes.”

Marketing director Michael Higginson explains: “We had three core goals; get the course to the level it once was, get our finances sorted, and develop our brand.

“Good2Great focused on the course, is funded by members, and has been transformative.

“We have also invested in other facilities, such as a driving range, indoor practice areas, and a partnership with Samlesbury Driving Range which allows us to engage with the wider community and be more inclusive.

Michael Higginson, marketing director at Pleasington Golf Club (Image: NQ Staff)

“Our partnership with Landmark Media helps us to appeal to a wider audience. We are the leading Northwest heathland course and have ambitions to get better and better.”

Tony Wesson, who runs Get into Golf to encourage more women to play the game, has a busy summer ahead of him of camps for children and women.

He said: “We have a lot of juniors who have gone from never holding a club to becoming really good players; it is flourishing.

“Get into Golf has been really good too; traditionally it has been harder to get girls playing but this has been brilliant in introducing younger women and girls to the game.”

While the off-course changes are hugely important for the club’s future and its place in the town, it is on the course where ultimately it will be judged by visitors.

Funded by the members, the £1 million work has taken five years so far but is already bearing fruit, with visitor green fees up by 25 per cent year on and feedback overwhelmingly positive.

Golf Digest has already visited and ranked it in the Top 200 in the UK and Ireland, putting Pleasington among the top five or six per cent of courses in the British Isles, and the club has its sights set on breaking into the top 100.

A view of the two-tier, split fairways on the signature par 5, The Mill (Image: NQ Staff)

The return of Open Qualifying is also on the agenda, having hosted it 12 times in the past, and with the changes made Pleasington is in fine shape for it, providing a tough, but fair, test of golf.

Bunkers across the course have been totally overhauled to give them a more natural feel, as have tee boxes, fairways and greens – plus two quarry waste areas have been created which punish errant shots with unpredictable lies.

The long fourth hole runs alongside the railway line and once complete will be picture-perfect, while the remodelled fifth presents a challenging risk-reward decision with a beautiful backdrop.

Major bunker changes on the sixth – including the new quarry – present another risk-reward hole, and this doesn’t relent on the mind-bending two-tier fairways of the seventh – The Mill – where new heathland gives some protection to wayward tee shots, and the brave player can run a tee shot down the steep chute if they dare.

The gorgeous par-3 eighth, alongside the River Darwen with a viaduct framing the green, takes some beating as Lancashire’s most picturesque par-3, and the demanding tee shot makes it a challenging hole to boot.

Bunker changes on 10 and 11 make the holes fairer and better framed, while the 12th is another where groundworks have created a much better-looking hole.

The clubhouse at Pleasington (Image: NQ Staff)

The 14th has had a lot of trees removed, having previously been a terrifyingly narrow corridor to hit through due to uncontrolled tree growth, and with Darwen Tower in the background is another stunning vista.

More trees out on the 16th create a fairer hole, while changes due around the 17th green will make the green more accessible by players of all levels while remaining a tough test for low handicappers.

New tee boxes planned for the 18th will stretch it out into a tough finisher, with a tabletop green and eagerly watching clubhouse patio behind making approaches and putts all the more testing.

But the most eye-catching changes made to the course are the efforts to restore its heathland credentials. These changes are also central to one of the most pressing issues greenkeepers are facing currently – sustainability.

Club director Peter Bedford has led the course upgrades and ecology, alongside renowned architect Ken Moodie.

Mr Bedford explained the decision to take out thousands of trees – which raised some eyebrows – and how this will actually benefit the environment on the course.

“Heather, like peat bogs, is far better at trapping carbon than trees,” he said, eyes lighting up, showing how passionate he is about the course’s transformation.

“We’ve worked with the Forestry Commission to carry out proper woodland management; taking out one in three trees allows those left to develop and create a proper canopy.

“Before we had too many competing for the same space and light, taking them out helps those left over and also supports flora on the ground.

“We’ve had kestrels roosting on the course, peregrine falcons nearby, and of course deer. We’re also hoping our sand waste areas will attract sand martins back too.”

The difference the tree removal has made is substantial. Holes, where trees had been allowed to grow uncontrolled, are now far more open, allowing a wider range of shot selection and attack angles, while vistas across the course are much improved, producing some stunning scenery, particularly in the late afternoon sun.

New grasses have been put in – bentgrass rather than meadow grasses, specifically – which are more robust and sustainable to maintain.

The club also has its own borehole and is using water features to create a self-sustaining water source to ease its reliance on public water supply.

The greenkeeping staff are local, graduating through apprenticeships. The hospitality contractors are locally sourced, and contractors needed for work on the course are also sourced locally where possible to support Blackburn business.

A Sunday driver deal is also in place with the Dunkenhalgh Hotel to further entrench the club’s ties to the town.

And what for the future? Once the final few holes are finished this winter, it will be a case of maintaining and honing the course to be the best it can be, and continuing to establish the club’s place as an integral part of Blackburn.

Mr Higginson added: “We want an exceptional course while remaining a family-focused, inclusive club.

“We would like to think we are leading the way as a golf club. There’s still a lot to do to get year-round golf and expand our appeal to get people coming to Pleasington as a destination to play.”

Judging by the work done already and the atmosphere around the club, buzzing with juniors and players of all ages and backgrounds, it looks like the club is well on its way to achieving this.

Green fees for visitors at Pleasington Golf Club are £80, with discounts available online.