2024 Management Letter

A brief look back over the year and casting an eye ahead to 2025 and beyond...

Dear Golfer,

Firstly, we would like to thank you all for the warm welcome that was extended to us as we joined the management team here at Whitley back in the summer. It’s obviously been a period of transition whilst we’ve found our feet and continue to do so. We would like to extend a big welcome all the new members and visitors that have joined us over the past few months. We hope you are finding your feet too but remember if you have any questions then please do not hesitate to get in contact.

Club Captains

We’d like to thank our Captains of 2024 Paul West, Karen Bryant and Geoff Millard for their commitment and time in leading their sections. Karen is staying on as Ladies Captain, her Vice will be Nicky Smith. The Men’s section will be led in 2025 by Jamie Follett and his Vice Stephen Hare and the Seniors by Nigel Barker and his Vice Kevin Jamieson. We are sure that you will all get behind them and support them through their Captaincy.

2025 Golf Season

You will find attached the calendar for the 2025 season. We will take this opportunity to highlight some changes that we are implementing to the golfing schedule. We are excited to announce that we’re introducing a Festival of Golf to Whitley Golf Club during the month of July. This will include all our Major Opens and will conclude with Captain’s Charity day on Saturday 26th July so make sure you cancel your holidays and get the dates in your diary!

Over the last couple of months we have taken a long hard look at our monthly competitions and with the help of England Golf guidelines we made the decision to change our four day competitions to two days. As well as following the guidelines we feel this will provide more of a level playing field with regard to playing conditions and course setup for those competing, as well as freeing up some extra dates in the calendar year for ad hoc events. 

After meeting with the England Golf Club support officer recently, we have now taken the decision to make senior ladies eligible for the Senior competitions. We hope this would encourage more participation and provide more competitive golf for both sections.

Club Development...

So here’s the news that you probably want to read about the most…..

Over the last two years there has been some large scale investment at the Club. The old decking from the clubhouse was replaced with a new large patio area allowing a more enjoyable and sociable experience whilst at the Club. The range netting had a major overhaul to provide more safety from errant shots from the range whilst playing the 1st hole.

The purchase of the two robotic mowers has been hugely significant in the development of the fairways which the excellent condition of over the Summer was regularly commented on. It’s now time to announce the next stage of development and investment...

The Directors of Whitley Golf Club, Jack and Tom are in the process of submitting plans to the local planning authority for our phased development Masterplan of brand new practice facilities, shop area, car park and Clubhouse changes. We must reiterate that this is very much a phased development plan and everything won’t happen all at once.

As a team we have developed a strategic plan and have identified the development of the driving range to be crucial. Therefore drawings have been made for a brand new driving range which will have the latest Toptracer range technology installed in up to a maximum of 16 bays. We feel that this will allow us to give you, the members and visitors a more complete year round golf experience. 

This will be the largest investment project that the Club has undertaken since it was established back in 1993. The Directors and management are committed to move the Club to the next level over the coming years. We hope you can appreciate that each phase will allow the next phase to happen and so on. Alongside the range building we are incorporating a small retail area which we hope in time will become the hub of everything golf within the Club. This will be where you will be able to register for your tee times and competitions as well as buy branded accessories. These plans will allow the Clubhouse to become purely a place to relax with a drink and a chat in a café lounge and bar setting.

We are currently in talks with a major branded supplier with the hope that their golf hardware (retail talk for clubs!) and accessories will be available to purchase early 2025 even before the new range is built. Whilst we are submitting plans for changes to the Clubhouse building, these changes won’t be immediate, but we felt it was important to include them as a vision of where the management team wish to take Whitley Golf Club over the coming years.  

The plans also incorporate changes to the car park and entrance to the course which will all be part of the redevelopment of the first tee area and where the current pond is. Once again these changes may not be immediate but the whole aesthetic of the Clubhouse approach and first tee area will be lifted in the coming years. 

We are sure you will all agree that this constitutes a very exciting time ahead for the Club which we want you all to be part of. There will no doubt be lots of questions that you will have and we will do our upmost best to answer them. The plans and brief will be displayed in the Clubhouse in the very near future for you all to look at and we will keep you informed as the process moves along.

2025 promises to be busy not only with the new development but with golf and social times as well. We are really looking to build on the events that have been introduced over the past six months and really hope even more of you will get involved.

It would be great if you have golfing friends who play elsewhere that they could be encouraged to take part in the Open competitions throughout July. Our 'LIV' Open is also returning in September after the successful first running, can we go bigger and better? We aim to!! 

The golfing calendar all kicks off on New Year’s Day with a 9 hole roll up with the tee block booked 11am-11.56am. So if you need to clear your head or just want a social start to the year then turn up and find some playing partners, it’s £2 in and the winner takes the pot!

Then all things social start with a quiz night on Friday 10th January quickly followed by the presentation night on Friday 24th January all members and guests are welcome to join us. We appreciate everyone who has supported the competitions and social events and we really hope to build on that success going forward.

All that’s left for us to say on behalf of Jack, Tom and ourselves is to thank all the members of staff that contribute to the running and operation of the Club and of course you the members and visitors for your continued support.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here’s to 2025 and beyond!

Seasons Greetings,

Ciaran and Josh