A public consultation has begun on plans to add a swimming pool, spa, and padel courts to Greetham Valley Golf and Country Club in Rutland. The proposals, submitted last summer by new owners The Club Company, aim to diversify facilities amid declining golf memberships. Views are sought until February 5 ahead of a council decision.
The Club Company acquired the Greetham Valley site in 2024 and seeks to modernize it to match its network of 17 other country clubs. The redevelopment would introduce a 20-metre swimming pool via a single-storey extension, alongside a gym, spa, and padel courts. These changes would replace the existing bowling green and function suite.
In its application to Rutland County Council, The Club Company explained the rationale: “The business model for golf clubs has fundamentally changed over recent years. At the time of the 1990s boom in golf course construction, golf clubs could be financially viable solely on the basis of membership subscriptions. However, club membership numbers throughout the country have fallen steadily over the last 20 years. The modern reality is that many clubs cannot survive unless they offer a range of attractions and activities in the face of increased competition from other leisure providers.”
The bowling green sees limited use, operating once a week for four months annually. The project promises to generate 16 full-time equivalent jobs, including positions for lifeguards, maintenance staff, instructors, and receptionists.
Council officers are discussing the scheme's biodiversity effects and potential developer contributions. Padel, a rapidly expanding sport blending tennis and squash, involves doubles play on enclosed courts with solid racquets and a softer ball.
Locally, similar initiatives include recent submissions for padel courts at Rutland Water Golf Club, existing facilities at Woolfox Golf and Country Club, and approved plans at Burghley Park Golf Club near Stamford in December.
Greetham Valley currently features two 18-hole golf courses, a nine-hole course, a function suite, conference rooms, 25 hotel bedrooms, and eight self-catering lodges. Greetham Parish Council supports the application but urges that new amenities be accessible to the public beyond members.
The consultation, which started on January 22, allows comments via the council's portal until February 5.