Report - Purley chase golf club, Nuneaton, May 2021

[Spida]

The history

The Purley Chase Golf Club was founded in 1978.
The course was designed by B Tomlinson. Many improvements were made over the years making it one of the leading golf courses in the Midlands and North Warwickshire.
The course measured over 7,000 yards off the championship tees with a par of 72. Lakes were a feature on some of the shorter holes and together with lush fairways and undulating greens it made a challenging course for all grades of golfer. There was also a driving range. Good food and drink was available in the four star clubhouse.
In the early 1980s the secretary was C T Cooke and the professional P R Bottell. Membership of 500. Visitors’ fees were £1.50p.
Later in the 1980s the secretary was R G Place and the professional M Chamberlain. Membership of 600. Course records were; amateur – P Broadhurst, 72; professional – P Elson, 64. Visitors’ fees were; weekday £8; weekend, £12.

In the early 1990s the secretary was R G Place and the professional D Llewellyn.

Later in the 1990s the professional was Gary Carver. Visitors’ fees were; weekday, £15; weekends, £25.
Colin Jones who qualified via the World Golf Teachers Federation Course in Spain during March 2005 was the later professional.
Lawson Evans served for two years as captain 2009 – 2010. Captain for 2010/11 was Paul Crump; Senior Captain, Mike Stocking; Lady Captain, Kelly Naylor.
But the club which once had a membership of 700 fell into decline and was described as “overgrown and totally unplayable” towards the end of its days in 2012.

A couple of pics from what the club house and the course looked like

The explore

I was here with my lady but as i saw how the building looked i asked her to wait in the car so it's more of a solo explore.

Here's what the club house plus the course looks like now

I saw this sign as i saw another building

A pic from just inside

I then made my way over to the club house and read this nice sign

As you can see from the pics this place is rough and has been set on fire, im not sure when so maybe anyone with local knowledge will share

I have got some more pics if anyone want to see them but sadly this place don't get any better.

Thanks for looking

 

[westernsultan]

The golf club was declared insolvent in 2014 and dissolved on 26 July 2016. It appears to have been a subsidiary of Golf Leisure Holdings Ltd which is still an active company with the same main directors who are also directors of Nuneaton Property Developers Ltd which is also an active company.

 

[dave]

There was a time when golf courses were in short supply as the game was getting more and more popular. It was unthinkable that a course and club of this standing could have gone bust but times change sadly.

 

[jimmyray]

I've been to a couple of weddings here and the place was really well kept, clubhouse and course.
A pal of mine was a member and used to say one of the best courses in the area. Such a shame.
The fire in the club house was started deliberately (according to fire service) back in April 2019. If you search on Google, you can see some pictures posted to Facebook. It looks like the main bar was set on fire.
There are probably only two things that will happen with the site now. Either the quarry at the back of the course will purchase the land to expand or, it will end up a housing estate.
If you check Google earth, there's a large house (slightly south east of the club house) that I believe was the green keepers house. Abandoned and also set on fire a long time ago.
I don't see this ever going back to a golf course again but hope I'm wrong.

 

[condiat]

I played there a number of times around 10 to 15 years ago. It could have been a very good course.

 

[Neomabell]

Hi everyone, went to come to this location this evening,

There's a security guard outside with 2 rather large German shepherds, after speaking to them he said that kids have broken in and trashed the place!

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Hi everyone, went to come to this location this evening,

There's a security guard outside with 2 rather large German shepherds, after speaking to them he said that kids have broken in and trashed the place!

really WTF is there left to trash!

 

[westernsultan]

----- after speaking to them ------ I decided their bite was worse than their bark