Whittington Heath Golf Club. Pic: Google

A golf club in Lichfield has drawn up proposals to remodel more than a third of its course before HS2 cuts it in half.

Whittington Heath Golf Club
Whittington Heath Golf Club. Pic: Google

Whittington Heath Golf Club has applied for planning permission for changes to its layout ahead of construction starting on the controversial high speed rail line.

The club says six holes will be “impacted materially” by HS2, with some left completely unplayable and others needing modification to remain viable.

A spokesperson said: “The existing course would be severed with the two halves separated by an embankment or cutting.

“While Whittington Heath Golf Club and its members would rather HS2 was not impacting on the club in the way it is, members have expressed a clear preference that the club should continue in the future.”

A golf club has been in place at the site since 1886 when it was used by soldiers at the nearby barracks, before being converted into an 18-hole course in 1927.

Whittington Heath Golf Club is also applying for a change of access into the site as well as a replacement clubhouse for the current building, which was once the grandstand for a horse racing track during the 17th and 18th Century.

An artist's impression of the new clubhouse at Whittington Heath Golf Club
An artist’s impression of the new clubhouse at Whittington Heath Golf Club

“The construction of the HS2 railway line involves the demolition of the club’s existing club house and green keepers compound and the severance of the existing golf course,” the spokesperson added.

“The club is not actively seeking to expand its membership in association with the proposals. The planning application seeks only to allow the club to reprovide the existing facilities that would be lost as a result of the construction of HS2.

“While the re-provision of existing facilities is not ideal and would cause significant disruption for the club, it is preferable to its closure and loss.”

Full details of the proposal can be seen on Lichfield District Council’s planning website.

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