Hounslow Heath Golf Centre

Hounslow Heath Golf Centre was a 117 acres (47 ha) public golf course and centre which comprised an 18-hole course located on Hounslow Heath in Feltham in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It was home to resident Hounslow Heath Golf Club.

Hounslow Heath Golf Centre
Hounslow Heath Golf Course
Club information
Hounslow Heath Golf Course
Coordinates51°27′34.48″N 0°23′47.33″W
LocationFeltham
Typepublic
Owned byLondon Borough of Hounslow
Total holes18
Websitehttp://www.hhgc.uk.com
Designed byFraser Middleton
Par69
Length5,901 yards (5,396 m)

Location

The course was situated on the western side of the heath bordered to the west by Donkey Wood and the River Crane. Part of the course adjacent to the river is liable to flooding. Access is from the A315 Staines Road.

History

After World War II gravel was extracted from the site and subsequently used for landfill until the late 1960s.[1] The golf course was established in 1977.[2] The course was designed by Fraser Middleton and opened in 1979.[3][4] Operation of the course was leased to Parpost Ltd in 2005 and John Laing Integrated Services prior to that.[2][5] Usage declined from 25,000 rounds of golf played in 2004 to below 10,000 in 2012, leading to a decision to sell. The golf course went on the market in April 2014 with planning permission to extend the clubhouse, develop a driving bay and potential to expand use of the site to include other leisure activities.[3]

Closure

The course was closed by Hounslow Borough Council on 30 September 2016. The number of rounds played had been declining for some time (see above), and the council was incurring high costs in subsidising the continued presence of golf at the site.

Current plans anticipate re-development of the site to provide "a re-modelled 9 hole academy style golf course with new clubhouse, 30 bay driving range, an 18 hole adventure golf course, a unique children’s adventure park", the latter called Hobbbler's Heath.

Course
Hounslow Heath Golf Course

The course comprised eighteen holes in two loops of nine with four par 3, thirteen par 4 and one par 5. Holes 10–13 were located to the north of the A315 accessed via an underpass. The course and adjacent heath are designated Metropolitan Green Belt and a Local Nature Reserve and form part of the Hounslow Gravels Natural Landscape Area.[6]

Other facilities

The facilities included a Café, retail area, greenkeepers’ office and large car park. A small practice ground and a practice putting green were situated near to the clubhouse and first tee.

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References
  1. "Hounslow Heath Nature Reserve" (PDF). Green route walks in Hounslow. p. 13.
  2. "Hounslow Heath". London Gardens Online. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  3. Cumber, Robert (4 April 2014). "Public golf course being sold in bid to drive up visitor numbers". GetWestLondon.
  4. "Hounslow Heath Golf Course" (pdf). GVA. 30 January 2014.
  5. "Tender of Hounslow Heath Golf Course". London Borough of Hounslow. 6 December 2005.
  6. Baxter, Alan (January 2011). "Hounslow Gravels, chapter 12" (pdf). London’s Natural Signatures: The London Landscape Framework. Natural England. pp. 78–81.
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