Monday, 2nd March, saw the opening of Ringway’s magnificent new practice ground in Hale Barns by the club’s Captains, Bernie Battman and Simon Fisher, and its President, Michael Prior.
Club members, officials and staff were delighted to see the opening of Ringway’s magnificent new practice ground in Hale Barns by the club’s Captains, Bernie Battman and Simon Fisher, and its President, Michael Prior.
Captain, Lady Captain and President ready for the ribbon cut
This wonderful facility is for the exclusive use of Ringway’s members and results from a long development over several years.
The club’s former Chairman, Jim Crew, who managed the due diligence, contract negotiation and planning application phases of the project takes up the story.
Jim said: “Ringway has always had a large practice field but it was featureless, had no protection from the elements, sloped away from the golfers and had poor parking and facilities. “Thanks to partnering with a specialist supplier and the hard work and patience of the club’s members and managers, Ringway’s practice field has been converted into a facility that’s now unrivalled in the area with covered bays, excellent facilities for members and a specialist studio for the club’s professional.”
Asked about the history of the project he added: “The idea was first discussed in the summer of 2018 but construction did not start until the autumn of 2021.
“The first Covid lockdown in March 2020 had been announced just as we submitted our planning application so that the whole process took over three times longer than expected.
“Then the weather turned against us – several wet winters turned the site into a quagmire and meant that the heavy construction equipment could not operate for weeks on end. “We also decided from the start that we had to minimise the various risks to the club – even if that added time to the plan. “As examples, we made a point of visiting several clubs in the south of England who had already completed similar projects, spent months getting the contract right and invested a lot of effort in explaining the project not just to members but also to local residents, politicians and community groups.”
“There are so many people to thank at the club because fortunately, like many other golf clubs, Ringway has enormous expertise amongst its members and so was able to call upon lawyers, planning consultants, surveyors, accountants, builders, estimators etc to provide specialist advice when required.
“But special mention must be made of our General Manager, Tracy Rawlinson, who saw the project through from the very first meeting to completion, Course Manager Matt Dobbs whose team completed all the finishing tasks and last but by no means least, Club Treasurer, David Hardman who has managed the project since 2022.”
“With the main 2026 golfing season about to start, Ringway members are now in prime position to improve their games and lower their handicaps thanks to their access to this great new practice facility.”
