The revival of Birmingham’s municipal golf courses has continued with the official opening of a new £2 million clubhouse in Sutton Coldfield.
The new Pype Hayes clubhouse replaced an old wooden shack, which was destroyed in a fire in 2009.
Now the two-storey building can boast state-of-the-art changing facilities, a function room, golf shop and restaurant and gym. The course itself has also undergone major work to improve drainage, meaning greens are no longer flooded following rain.
In 2009 the future of the seven Birmingham City Council-owned golf courses seemed bleak.
They had lost £400,000 in a year and had suffered from years of under-investment. The arson attack, which reduced the Pype Hayes club house to ashes, seemed the final nail in the coffin.
But the courses are now under the management of social enterprise Mytime Active, on a 50-year lease, and are seeing major investment for the first time in a generation.
Function room, restaurant and gym facilities offer a further income stream to support the primary golf activity.
As a social enterprise and with a council contract, there is a focus on ensuring golf remains affordable.
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With a peak weekend green fee of £18, and plenty of discounts available, the aim is to attract new players to the sport.
Mytime Active chief executive Steve Price said: “Pype Hayes already had a good pedigree and we now have the facilities to match. Our emphasis is very much on the local community.
"Even if they are not keen on the golf, we hope they will consider the gym, or use us for family events, wedding receptions, anniversaries and other celebrations.”
Mr Price said the Pype Hayes investment would soon be matched by new facilities at Hatchford Brook Golf Course, near Birmingham Airport, which will also include a driving range.
The remaining council courses, such as Boldmere and Cocks Moors Woods, will see investment in future years, although they are also benefitting from improved green keeping and drainage.
Mr Price said £1 million had been invested in mowers, tractors, drainage and landscaping for the courses.
He agreed council ownership had not been good for municipal golf and said he was not surprised the authority had been considering closing or selling them.
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“They lacked leadership and vision,” he said. “One thing we can do, as a social enterprise, is invest all our profits in the courses. That is what we have done with Pype Hayes. Our motto is to ‘get active through golf’. We are looking for new players, the aim is to raise participation.”
Mr Price said the group was developing links with Birmingham Metropolitan and Bournville colleges and eight primary schools.
“We are not going to sit back and wait for people to show up, we are getting out into the community,” he added.
Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Coun Mike Leddy, performed the official opening at Pype Hayes and made a special request for investment in the Cocks Moors Woods course, which lies in his Brandwood ward.
“I am jealous of this clubhouse,” he said. “I hope we will get something like this soon. It is absolutely fantastic, I have been blown away by the development. This is good investment for the benefit of the city.”
The city council opened its gold courses up to tender in 2011.