Chippenham Golf Club last week celebrated the second anniversary of its new clubhouse.

General manager Leighton Walker said the modern design clubhouse, which was seven years in the building, had resulted in 20 new members and five additional members of staff at the club since opening on November 27, 2012.

“The new facilities are modern, fresh and welcoming,” he said.

“It is a real landmark development for private golf clubs throughout the country.

“It has taken a club which was not in a good financial position to one which now has a very bright future.

“I think clubs that are constantly improving their facilities will thrive going forward and the ones that don’t will fall off the pace.”

He said the new function rooms had hosted the meetings of a number of local companies and networking groups and also been used by schools for tuition.
The golf course had also been improved, opening three new holes in May this year.
Three PGA professionals are available to introduce new players to the game and the club’s members range in age from eight to 85.

Fundraising activities by golf club members this year have raised £1,640 – £320 each for Carer Support Wiltshire and Waste Not Want Not, and £1,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Outgoing club captain Bill Cardno presented a cheque to Lawrence and Dawn Copeland, whose son Sam sadly died of the condition in October.

He said: “Members all live in the Chippenham area and my criteria for who should benefit from the Captain’s Charity Fund was simply local.

“Wiltshire Young Adult Carers and Waste Not Want Not provide support for mainly young people, and cystic fibrosis is a horrible, mainly young person disease which will be beaten, and young people like our recent victim of the disease made my decision to donate to the trust very straightforward.”