GOLF


Sam with Raman and Suba Sandhu


since the six-figure investment the new owners made in it.”


The open-plan layout upstairs and


extended balcony gives far more sense of space and comfort, as well as light, bolstered by new windows.


New beginning


The way back began when local residents Raman and Suba Sandhu heard something on the grapevine whilst their sons were taking golf lessons at the club.


“Someone mentioned that Chipstead was


for sale,” Raman explains, “but when that fell through I thought ‘that sounds terrible, can we do anything to help?’’ It would be a massive loss locally, so I mentioned it to my father, Peter Dosanjh, who runs several business ventures and was seeking a new investment opportunity.”


Course Manager Sam Bethell


I knew that golf clubs generally struggle, but good ones can thrive, so we researched some in the region to see what they were doing right that Chipstead wasn’t


” 22 PC December/January 2019


with courses; “Some twelve to fifteen private members clubs within a 10-mile radius of Chipstead, so we have plenty of competition,” Sam explains. “The clubhouse, built in 1994, was not future-proofed for the way golf would develop. The bar and dining room are upstairs, but toilets and changing rooms were downstairs.” The comparison with thriving clubs such as Bletchingley and Kingswood was clear, adds Sam. “Their clubhouses were built to hold functions - ours was built primarily for golf.” That was then, this is now. Just six months after the Dosanjh Foundation bought Chipstead, a once-bunkered club is rising from a perilous lie as the new owners sink the right investment into the right provision, indoors and out. “We’re already nudging 400 members with a target of 500 in our sights,” Sam records. “Members are returning and we’ve witnessed a big uptake in clubhouse activity


“I knew that golf clubs generally struggle, but good ones can thrive, so we researched some in the region to see what they were doing right that Chipstead wasn’t.” “We know little about golf, but we have plenty of experience in business and we thought we could bring our management skills into the club to turn it round,” Raman adds. “It’s a massive challenge of course, especially as golf is a new sphere for us, but our understanding of business means we can bring a more commercial approach to running the club and bring it up to speed.” Because the previous owners had been looking to sell, precious little upgrading had been done over the years. “Things had been allowed to deteriorate,” Raman notes. In contrast, Chipstead’s new owners have acted fast. “Our task was to look at ways to make the club more attractive for people,” says Raman, not only for members but also the local community generally by offering a leisure destination that makes them want to spend more time here.” The marketing skills they have applied to their other businesses are now finding force at Chipstead and the recovery is underway.


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