Work has started on a £1.25 million scheme to improve a world-class par three golf course after it secured a funding boost.
A new clubhouse and 10 more hotel bedrooms are being added to Nailcote Hall in Berkswell, on the Solihull-Warwickshire border, which is home to the Farmfoods British Par Three Championship.
The investment was unlocked by £100,000 match-funding from the Birmingham Post Growth Fund, in partnership with Bournville College, and will see plans that have been 16 years in the making come to fruition.
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Nailcote’s owner, Rick Cressman, said the enlarged and improved facilities will attract more golfers as well as corporate clients.
Mr Cressman said: “We will have a clubhouse which befits the best par three event in Europe.
“We have got 10 more bedrooms being built and a clubhouse for the golf course.
“With it being recognised as one of the best par three courses in the world we really need the whole facilities to be something that can be enjoyed by people coming to stay, play or visit.”
As well as the golf course, Nailcote already offers a 40-bedroom luxury hotel, conference facilities, tennis courts and a regular programme of live entertainment.
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Mr Cressman said the other 40 bedrooms at the hotel had all been refurbished in the past 18 months ahead of the new investment.
He added: “That is something that we have been trying to make happen for 16 years, which has been very frustrating because it has been absolutely essential to the long-term success of the business to have this capacity in place.
“Thankfully the Regional Growth Fund has been a big help to us.
“It has assisted us to grow the club, create more jobs and add additional security for the people who work for us.”
The scheme will see five jobs created at Nailcote, which already employs 65 people.
The Birmingham Post Growth Fund distributes Regional Growth Fund money to companies across the region to stimulate investment and unlock job creation and is set to return later this summer after it was awarded a further £5 million.
Graeme Brown, regional head of business at Post publisher BPM Media, said the success of Nailcote Hall showed why the fund was so important in the region.
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Mr Brown, who sits on the panel for the Birmingham Post Growth Fund, added: “Nailcote Hall is another example of exactly why the Post and our partners Bournville College invest so much time and effort in our growth fund. These plans have been more than a decade in the making, and it took a bit of investment to help get it up and running.
“It also shows that this is not just a Birmingham fund. When the fund re-opens later this summer we’ll be keen to hear from companies across Solihull and Coventry who are also looking to invest, unlock opportunities and create jobs.”