Risk and reward regeneration at Raglan Golf Club

In 2018, Raglan Golf Club fell victim to financial strain and closed its doors. Luckily, in 2024, a family from the local area stepped in and now Course Manager Lucy Sellick tells us more about the project.

Before the current owners took over, a London-based financier, Deri Llewellyn-Davies had assumed control of the venue with plans to develop it by adding eco-lodges, a restaurant and other amenities. However, progress stalled due to the pandemic, and the venue eventually shut down after a key investor pulled out.

History

Fast forward to 2025, and Raglan is once again open for business. However, experienced Course Manager Lucy Sellick explained that this has not come without its challenges. “At the beginning, the timescale was a major factor for consideration. From experience, I was expecting a two year project, but we aimed for a March opening which gave us seven months. This added a little bit of pressure, but the contractors came in, the team worked hard and we pushed through it.”

Lucy joined Raglan Golf Club just eleven months ago, in the middle of the regeneration project. “Speaking with the owners was a major point in my decision to join the club. I could see their passion and the vision for what they wanted Raglan to become. The course itself also played a part - we walked around and I could see the potential through rolling countryside and spectacular views.”

“I’m strongly invested in work morale and team ethic, which has always been a big ethos of mine. There were times when it was tough, the rain hammering down on the newly laid turf. You could see that on some days people needed a boost - whether that was a cup of tea or a little rest.”

The regeneration project

Lucy discussed the usefulness of having the blueprint left behind from the course that closed in 2018. “I have always said that the bones of the course were there - we just needed to shine a light on it and bring it back. There wasn’t a huge amount of construction involved; it was more reconstruction and bringing back from the  rewilding that took place over the six years it was closed etc.”

“The course is clay-based, which made it wet in places during periods of heavy rain. We’ve installed four miles of drainage, but secondary drainage will also be added when conditions allow this autumn. We’re also looking at putting in new hedges along the car park and little pockets of trees, as well as removing the damaged ones.”

“To keep the course open all year round and assure playability throughout winter, the first thing we needed was a full buggy path around the course. Just the top layer of dust for the paths was 490 tonnes and we had hundreds of tonnes of Type 1 stone. To get the greens firm and level, we used over two hundred tonnes of material.”

“Now we’re open, we’ll do our winter maintenance and assess where we can improve. We already have plans to develop a new practice area with a fully functioning driving range; we want to continue expanding without hindering members - that’s the aim.”

A fresh start with a fresh team

Having worked at several golf clubs and gained vast experience in turfcare, Lucy saw Raglan as an exciting career challenge. “I wanted to test myself. I’ve worked at a lot of clubs with committees, but here, we have a board with managers and they report directly to the owner/directors - you don’t have the red tape that usually slows down greenkeeping decisions.”

As well as a learning curve for Lucy, it was also a huge educational experience for the team she recruited. She explained: “Some team members were not from a greenkeeping background - they were new to the industry, let alone a project like this. It helped educate them about greenkeeping due to the nature of the task ahead of us. Each team member has their own strengths; it was a huge positive that they were learning from a clean slate.”

On managing a new team, Lucy said: “Sometimes it felt like organised chaos. The weather didn’t help - we didn’t want to cause damage by using large machines on the wet areas. During dry days, the team took full advantage and pushed on with demanding work. They were open to all of the ideas and that helped make it work.”

Lucy also highlighted the importance of contractors during the regeneration: “We had a local groundwork team that completed a lot of our digger work. That helped with the French drains, buggy paths and material work. Eco Bunker started on our bunkers, and I then took over when we decided to do a few more in-house. Prior to me joining in 2024, a local company re-turfed ten of our unsalvageable greens.”

Members get their course back

When the course closed in 2018, members must have thought that was the end of their club for good. “The feedback to the reopening has been really positive,” Lucy commented.

“For the members who had previously played here, it’s been great for them to come back to their course. But it’s also been great to welcome fresh faces to golf.”

“Members can’t believe the level of investment - not only on the golf course, but also the vastly improved facilities like the clubhouse and mini golf course. It’s no longer just a golf course; we want to build a community here.”

“We wanted to keep the history of golf, but with a fresh feel. We don’t have a committee, so it was important to engage with members and allow them to have a voice and give feedback. We’ve sent out feedback forms to all members, and one of the managers will sit in the clubhouse for an hour each week to answer questions.”

Why invest? The owners’ vision

It was really interesting to hear what the co-owners had to say about the investment.

“The course was up for sale in 2018 - but that wasn’t for long. I’ve always been local to Raglan and it’s a place I hold very close to me. When it came back on the market in 2025, I knew the area and the buildings and I could see the potential.”

“There were a lot of people at the first viewing of the golf course. The infrastructure was there, but it needed a clear vision - and I think we had that from the beginning. We wanted to research different golf clubs, so we travelled around and explored several to gain ideas about how things worked. We’ve implemented a community feel and we want the club to be a local spot for people to come to - not necessarily just golfers.”

We wish Lucy and the team all the success they deserve at this stunning facility.