South: Investment plans unveiled for south coast golf and country club

The new owner of Hamptworth Golf and Country Club is to immediately invest a further £250,000 to develop its facilities.

The club, which is set in a beautiful location between Southampton and Salisbury in the New Forest, was recently purchased by Carl Faulds.

The entrepreneur said: “The intention is to create an inclusive, not exclusive, venue for the entire family to enjoy their leisure time, based on providing quality and value for money and a wide range of sporting and social activities.

“As a golfer I can tell that, as a result of the work already carried out, greens are playing better than ever.

“We have also used over a tonne of grass seed to enhance all the green surrounds and the short game area, and the bunkers have received 30 tonnes of new sand.

“An all-weather buggy path around all 18 holes has been laid, using 240 tonnes of specialist material, and major drainage works will be carried out this autumn.”

The club, with 500-plus members, also has some of the finest croquet lawns in the country, plus tennis courts and a restaurant within a large clubhouse, including event facilities.

Faulds, a father of three, runs a number of businesses in the financial sector, including Portland Business and Financial Solutions in Fareham, near Southampton and Portsmouth.

He says he is determined to create a ‘best in class’ club that people enjoy, with the majority of golfers, croquet and tennis players  travelling in from the nearby major cities of Southampton and Salisbury.

Faulds said: “I am going to develop Hamptworth into a country club with great value and quality leisure and social activities for all the family, which is why I’m investing heavily.

“We want to improve the quality of all the facilities and then expand the range of activities while retaining a value for money pricing structure.

“Already the golf course is playing better than ever with the greens – that are all designed to USPGA specification - running at around 10.5 on the ‘stimpmeter’. This means they are faster than the greens at St Andrews were during the Open.

“We will be improving the course further by making it challenging for low-handicappers, but equally as important, enjoyable for everyone else. And the clubhouse is being refurbished to create a modern, clean, friendly environment for all the family with a relaxed dress code."