Basingstoke Golf Club’s official opening marks the culmination of a £20 million transformation.
When Ian Woosnam, Charley Hull and Charlie Forster officially opened the new Basingstoke Golf Club on May 2, it marked a landmark moment for the club, its members and General Manager David Green.
The Hampshire club, founded in 1907, has completed a £20million redevelopment following its relocation to Dummer, on the outskirts of Basingstoke. The five-year project has seen the club move from its original Kempshott Park site, integrate two club cultures, reshape its operating model and deliver a completely redesigned golf course by Weller Designs.
For Green, who joined the club as GM in November 2023, it offered a chance to recognise the scale of what had been achieved and the people who had helped bring it together.
“Our official opening celebrates five years of incredible dedication and collaboration from everyone involved in the Basingstoke Golf Club project,” he said.
“We were thrilled to welcome Ian Woosnam and Charley Hull alongside our own Charlie Forster for such a fantastic occasion as we opened one of the region’s premier golf venues.”
The event brought together members, local dignitaries and guests, with former world number one and 1991 Masters champion Woosnam joined by Hull, a seven-time Solheim Cup player and winner of nine LPGA and LET titles, and Forster, a long-time Basingstoke member who made his Walker Cup debut last September before turning professional.
A selection of members, drawn through a prize raffle, also had the opportunity to play nine holes alongside the trio before an entertaining Q&A hosted by Sky Sports presenter Di Stewart.
While the star names gave the day a sense of occasion, the story behind Basingstoke’s redevelopment is rooted in the kind of strategic, operational and people-led work familiar to many golf club managers.
As previously discussed by Green on the GCMA Insights podcast, the club’s transformation involved far more than building new facilities. The move followed a member vote in 2018 to sell the original Kempshott Park location and purchase the former Dummer Golf Club site, creating the opportunity to reimagine the club’s future.
That process brought major complexity, from integrating two memberships and staff teams to reshaping governance, systems and operating structures. Green arrived with the project already in full flow and quickly became central to helping the club through a demanding period of transition.
“We needed to dissolve the current operating company and put it into liquidation as part of our articles, but have a new company set up at the same time, and therefore go through a total change of governance within the golf club,” Green explained on the podcast.
“There was an awful lot of work that needed to be done within the operating structure of the golf club to make sure it was ready to do that.”
That unseen work formed the foundation for the facilities now being enjoyed by members and visitors.
Built on chalk downland, the new course features rebuilt greens, tees and bunkers, wide strategic fairways and creeping bentgrass greens, the first of their kind in Hampshire. An advanced irrigation system has also been installed to support consistent playing conditions throughout the year.
The day also saw the official opening of the new 1907 Academy, developed in partnership with SYNLawn UK. Combining performance-led design, sustainability and Trackman technology, the academy adds another important layer to the club’s long-term vision.
Woosnam praised both the course and the wider facilities. He said: “It’s a proper test of golf and excellent all-round facilities from the clubhouse to the new academy.
“You can see the thought that’s gone into every detail and it’s a course that will be a great experience for members and visitors alike.”
Hull was equally impressed by the playing surfaces and practice set-up.
“The greens are exceptional and the world-class practice facilities and fun course make this somewhere you’d want to come back and play again,” she said.
For Forster, the opening carried personal significance. Having grown up at the club before progressing to elite amateur golf and then into the professional ranks, the day was a proud moment for someone closely connected to Basingstoke’s past and future.
“To be part of this day at my home club means a lot,” said Forster.
“To see all the members enjoying the day with Woosie and Charley has been wonderful and launches an exciting new era for everyone here.”
For Green and the team, that new era is now underway. The official opening provided a public celebration of the finished project, but it also reflected the leadership, resilience and collaboration required behind the scenes to deliver change on this scale.
