Wake Smith advises on South Yorkshire golf club sale

A South Yorkshire golf club with a 9-hole course, driving range and carp lake has been bought by new owners for a six figure sum with the help of Wake Smith.

Barlborough Links Golf Club has been acquired from Grantham Industries by golf professional Andy Carnall, his partner Frances Lilly and business partner Alan Wildbore.

Wake Smith Solicitors advised on the purchase of the club which has an array of facilities within its 95 acres including a 9-hole golf course, a floodlit 12-bay driving range, 9-hole FootGolf course and 8-peg fishing lake.

And since taking ownership late last year, the company has already made substantial five figure sum investment in the pay and play club’s infrastructure including opening a new coffee shop, new machinery and job creation.

Andy Carnall, former Sheffield International Venues’ golf general manager, said: "The course has been open since 1999 but had received little investment and had seen the facility decline in recent years. A fire also wiped out the clubhouse in 2009.

“It was the right time to buy the business. We are a small, family run company which is committed to helping the club achieve its potential and have set out a five year investment plan to develop the facility.

"I believe the club holds extensive opportunities to improve and enhance its overall offering with plenty of scope for development. We are convinced that we can develop the facilities we have, encourage membership and establish the facility as one of South Yorkshire’s best pay and play 9-hole facilities especially aimed at the beginner and improver end of the market.

“We have already started on that journey with investment into the infrastructure including a new reception and coffee shop, new green-keeping machinery and job creation and this is already paying off.

“2018 is an exciting year for us. The club, which used to employ one person, now supports eight jobs with the potential to grow up to 20 people, once our long term plan to build a new clubhouse is achieved.”

Tom Weightman, commercial property solicitor from Wake Smith Solicitors, said: “We are delighted the sale of Barlborough Links Golf Club has completed. Buying commercial property through a pension fund can be highly tax-efficient and is increasingly popular amongst small business owners who choose to purchase their business premises through their pension scheme to take advantage of the tax breaks that are on offer.”

The links course at Barlborough is a 9-hole golf course with a mix of par 3, 4 and 5 holes making a total par of 35. The course plays 3,032 yards from the white competition tee, 2,854 yards from the yellow tee and 2,609 yards from the red tee.

The club, located near junction 30 of the M1, also offers a separate FootGolf course where this emerging sport, a crossover from football to golf, can be played, and a feature fishing lake offering a limited amount of private memberships.

For commercial property advice contact Tom Weightman at [email protected] or on 0114 266 6660.