International real estate advisor Savills, with joint agents HMH Golf & Leisure, has brought Forest Hill Golf Club in Leicestershire to the market with offers invited in excess of £4.5 million. The established golf and leisure destination extends to approximately 119 acres and has benefited from significant recent investment across its facilities.
Acting on behalf of Simon Carvill-Biggs and John Lowe, Restructuring Partners at FRP Advisory Trading Limited and Joint Administrators of Forest Hill Golf Club Limited, Savills and HMH have been instructed to market the freehold property, which continues to trade throughout the sale process.
Located approximately eight miles west of Leicester, with convenient access to the M1, Forest Hill Golf Club comprises an 18-hole golf course, a 21-bay floodlit Trackman driving range, a modern clubhouse with restaurant, bar, gym, fitness studio and golf simulator facilities, alongside the recently opened Anaconda Falls adventure golf course.
The golf course, which opened in 1991 and was extended in 2006, is arranged in two loops of nine holes comprising four par 3s, nine par 4s, and five par 5s. Extending to 6,513 yards (par 73) from the white tees, the championship length course offers a challenging round. The course is situated within the National Forest with a semi-wooded landscape enhanced by lakes and streams, and provides a mature and attractive setting for golf.
The property also includes extensive parking and a site identified for a proposed 49-bedroom hotel, subject to planning.
The club has evolved into a multi-income leisure business, generating revenue from golf memberships, green fees, food and beverage operations, health and fitness memberships, adventure golf and driving range activities. Recent investment has included the refurbishment of the clubhouse and driving range, alongside the development of the adventure golf attraction and golf simulator offering.
Simon Carvill-Biggs, Partner at FRP Advisory, comments: “Since our appointment on 26 June, we have assumed responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the club and are pleased to confirm that trading has continued seamlessly throughout this period, with no disruption to members, guests, or visitors.
“The Joint Administrators’ objective is to secure a sale of the club as a going concern, preserving the business and its facilities for the future. We have worked closely with Licensed Solutions and the on-site team to maintain and enhance the member experience, identifying prior failures and ensuring that the Club is operated to the high standards members have come to expect. We remain fully supportive of the existing membership base and look forward to welcoming both new members and visitors to the club.”
Justine Morris, Associate Director in the Leisure and Trading team at Savills, comments: “Opportunities to acquire an operational golf and leisure business of this scale, combined with such a diverse range of revenue streams, are rare. Forest Hill Golf Club benefits from a strong regional catchment, significant recent investment and clear opportunities for future growth, making it an attractive proposition for a wide range of buyers.”
Ben Allen, Consultant at HMH, adds: “Forest Hill Golf Course offers all the key components of a commercial golf facility. The property has benefitted from recent significant capital investment, which included the full refurbishment of the floodlit golf range, a full clubhouse refurbishment adding a new simulator/games suite and a new gym, as well as with a new adventure golf course. Following historic management and financing challenges, the business has now been stabilised and offers significant scope for commercialisation.”