Plans to build a five-star hotel at London Golf Club have been given the all-clear to raise hopes of European Tour events coming back in the near future. The 130-bed hotel and leisure facilities received the green light this week from Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council after a lengthy planning process. Work is expected to begin this winter and take 18 months to complete.
A lack of accommodation has prevented the London Club from building on the successful European Opens in 2008 and 2009. It was also the main reason their bid to host the 2015 Solheim Cup failed, but once construction is finished it will put the club, near Ash, in a position to stage some of golf’s biggest events.
Charles Fairweather, club chairman, said: "This is just the beginning of the first phase of development. The long-term strategy for London Golf Club is to create a world-class destination and venue that will host the biggest and best sporting events over the next 20 years."
The club entered into a partnership with the European Tour two years ago which will be strengthened by the development. Long-held plans to establish a regional office, giving the tour a permanent presence onsite, have be reconfirmed.
The new facilities will also include the first European Tour Performance Institute, which will give players of all abilities access to high-tech sports science knowledge normally only available to tournament professionals.
George O'Grady, the European Tour’s chief executive, said: "When we announced our joint venture partnership with London Golf Club in 2009, the vision was to create a world-class golf destination.
"The golf facilities are proven at every level, from hosting full European Tour competitions to special events such as the recent Golf LIVE show, which was a huge success and attended by 13,000 golfers and their families.
"Now, with the development of a striking 5-star hotel and spa within convenient proximity of London and its international airports, plus fast, efficient road and rail links to continental Europe and the rest of the UK, London Golf Club is set to position itself among the world’s elite golf resorts and we plan to host major European Tour events in years to come."