A Kent golf course is set to swap fairways for holiday lets as plans for a luxury lodge village gather pace.
Stonelees Golf Centre in Ramsgate, which has welcomed players for more than 30 years, will see part of its grounds carved up for 20 holiday lodges as the owners seek to diversify their income.
A CGI of the holiday village scheme at Stonelees Golf Centre in Ramsgate. Picture: South East Architectural Services
The move comes as golf clubs across the UK grapple with soaring costs and declining membership.
Lullingstone Park in Kent shut in March 2023 after its operator, Sencio, went into liquidation, while Southern Valley in Gravesend closed in August 2022 amid uncertainty over the Lower Thames Crossing.
Stonelees, by contrast, has pushed ahead.
Thanet District Council (TDC) signed off plans last year for the lodges, along with parking and an office at the northern end of the site.
This week, 3.68 acres went on the market for £600,000.
What the holiday lodges at Stonelees Golf Centre, Ramsgate, could look like. Picture: South East Architectural Services
Estate agents Finn’s, which is handling the sale, billed it as “a rare coastal development opportunity with full planning permission for 20 holiday lodges.”
Planning documents drawn up in 2020 went further, describing the scheme as “a stand-alone, unique holiday resort or village” that would meet growing demand for tourist accommodation in Thanet.
Official studies, according to TDC, showed “significant growth” in tourism from 2017 compared to 2013, up 4.2 million visitors.
In cash terms, it meant the district raked in £319 million from guests, the district council’s tourism manager, Paula Harbidge, said at the time.
She stressed “new experiences” were needed to help attract “higher spending visitors for short breaks”.
Part of the course at Stonelees Golf Centre, Ramsgate, is on the market. Picture: Rightmove
Supporting the bid in the strongest possible terms, she added: “This application will provide much needed all year round quality accommodation for the local visitor”.
Once complete, half of the units will be detached, half semi-detached, with three or four bedrooms apiece.
Furthermore, each will feature an al-fresco dining area and steps down to a stream that runs through the course.
Inspiration came from numerous UK courses, the developers say, whereby units are arranged in a close-knit fashion, overlooking a watercourse, open countryside, golf course and all set within heavily wooded areas.
“They all demonstrate the demand for this specific style of holiday accommodation,” planning papers say.
Inspiration for the Stonelees lodges came, in part, Dorset Golf and Country Club. Picture: South East Architectural Services
Once complete, traditional pitched roof chalets will be scattered along the length of the site, overlooking the course, against the green backdrop of large mature trees.
“They should also not prove too distracting,” documents continue.
“The proposed holiday homes should give the prospective occupants a chance to get away for a long weekend, or stay longer for a week or two”.
The original agreement between Greenfinches and site owner Rob Chapman was for a larger, phased development of the site, beginning with a 120-bed hotel.
The project was intended to spearhead a new tourism push, and an operator was understood to have been lined up. After six months of work, the final hotel design was close to completion and ready for submission to the district council.
Stonelees Golf Club overlooks Pegwell Bay in Thanet. Picture: South East Architectural Services
However, the Covid-19 pandemic – and its expected long-term economic and social impact – led the applicant to pause the scheme.
They said the financial risk of such a large project meant pressing ahead in the current climate was not feasible.
