A new golf course at a major development in BRACKNELL is set to open this summer.

A sign for a ‘Golf Plex’ has appeared at the entrance to Wood Lane in Bracknell at the massive Blue Mountain development.

Although the old Blue Mountain Golf Course is being transformed into a new housing estate, the site’s legacy as a golf course will continue.

That’s because the company Golf Entertainments Ltd is gearing up to open this July.

The new Golf Plex will feature a nine hole golf course, a foot golf course, two driving ranges and an adventure golf course.

The company has launched a recruitment drive in anticipation for its July opening, promising an accessible experience for aspiring golfers and families who may be put off by ‘traditional’ golf clubs.

An advert on Indeed states: “Golf Plex is a new concept in family entertainment, opening in July 2021. Forget what you think you know about golf.

“This isn’t going to be anything like your normal golf club – full of funny coloured trousers and odd traditions. In fact, it’s so different from that, we’re not calling it a golf club – it’s a Golf Entertainment Centre.

“We’re going to offer three main activities that can be enjoyed by non-golfers and golfers alike – regardless of their age or golfing ability:

• Toptracer golf range
• Blue Mountain Adventure Golf
• Family Short course

“And we’ll also have a Cafe Bar which will serve hot food, beverages (including alcohol) and play host to children’s birthday parties.”

Plans for the golf course were approved in February last year.

Once it is opened, guests will be able to enjoy hot food, drinks and alcohol in a new clubhouse.

However, this clubhouse will only be temporary. The owners of the golf course wanted to build a new permanent clubhouse, submitting designs for it to Bracknell Forest Council in 2019.

Yet, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, bosses at the Blue Mountain golf course have said that it is not feasible to build the permanent clubhouse at the moment. Therefore, they successfully applied to build a ‘modest’ temporary clubhouse for a period of five years.

Plans for the temporary clubhouse were approved on Tuesday, April 27. The clubhouse will have a reception area with seating, a bar, a small kitchen, four toilets including one disabled toilet, and a store room with a ball dispenser unit. The clubhouse will be attached to the current driving range.

The owners replaced eight driving range bays so that the temporary clubhouse can be built. The existing timber shacks will be replaced with a steel frame building with timber cladding. Once the five year period has finished, the eight driving range bays will be reinstated.

The new ‘Golf Entertainment Centre’ forms part of the Blue Mountain development, which will see 400 new homes, a nursery, primary and secondary school, a community hub and more built on the old golf course site. The original golf course closed in 2016 after plans for the residential development were approved that year.

Golf Entertainment Ltd has applied to sell alcohol at the temporary clubhouse from 10am to 10pm. This application was submitted in March and is yet to be determined.