THE temporary closure of Rhyl Golf Club has been brought forward by three months to December 31, 2022.
This is to accommodate a project which will see a nine-foot-tall sea defence be built on the boundaries of Prestatyn and Rhyl.
Funded by the Welsh Government and Denbighshire County Council (DCC), the project is expected to cost roughly £20million and protect about 2,100 properties.
Mike Pritchard, marketing director and spokesperson at Rhyl Golf Club, said: “DCC and the sea defence contractors, Balfour Beaty, have asked that we move it (closure date) forward to aid their programme, allowing them more time to get the heavy machinery and associated groundworks underway and to work to a more realistic schedule for what’s now involved.
“This does mean that the closure period is extended from 12 to 15 months.
“Members have been advised and appreciate the rationale behind the request.
“As we know, winter golf can be even more challenging on the Rhyl coastline, so a closure over 1.5 winters isn’t the end of the world for some!
“It also means we have now been able to instruct architects to draw up the proposals for the UK’s first carbon-neutral golf club and clubhouse.
“The extra time means a more realistic delivery schedule for reconvening in April 2024.
“We may be able to share drafts over the coming months on what this will look like when built, together with the re-shaped course and new ‘bund’ to aid the residents with their new flood defence support too.”
A DCC spokesperson added: “We continue to work with Rhyl Golf Club to ensure we minimise disruption to the club during the construction phase, should funding be secured and planning permission be granted, for the proposed project.”
The original plans showed the defences cutting across the golf club grounds, but amended submissions just before Christmas showed they had been moved to being directly opposite the homes of residents of Green Lanes.
Residents fear that it will mean their bungalows being overlooked by a nine-foot high earth bund (a containment area to hold rainwater runoff), with people able to walk along it looking down on their homes.
Rhyl Golf Club, a nine-hole course which has been in existence since 1890, was previously earmarked as a potential flood plain.
In December, Mr Pritchard told the Journal: “We want to give back to Rhyl where we can, plus we will be the first sports venue to have onsite electric car charging facilities.
"My plan is to be the first golf club in the region to support electric car charging, and our design and plans will be to create the 'future state of golf'.”
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