Wentworth Golf Course
MobileCAD were pleased to be asked to carry out a Measured Building Survey of the Wentworth Golf Course Club House – an iconic building for golf fans and regular back drop on the PGA tour season (one of the MobileCAD team in particular was very excited to be part of this project).
The 19th century house the “Wentworths” (now the club house) was the home for the brother-in-law of the Duke of Wellington. It was purchased in 1850 by exiled Spanish marquis and count Ramon Cabreraand his heiress wife. After his death, his wife, née Catherine Anne Vaughn-Richards, bought up the surrounding lands under The Cabrera Trust to safeguard the meadows, brooks and the trees planted from her travels on the continent with her gentrified husband to form what has become the heart of the Wentworth Estate.
In 1912, builder W.G. Tarrant had started developing St George’s Hill, Weybridge – a development of houses based on minimum 1-acre plots based around a golf course.
In 1922 Tarrant acquired the development rights for the Wentworth Estate, getting Harry Colt to develop a golf course around “Wentworth” house. Tarrant developed the large houses on the estate to a similar Surrey formula used at St George’s Hill. Development of Wentworth Estate ground to a halt due to the Great Depression in the late 1920s.
In 1931 when the banks asked for repayment of a large debenture, Tarrant was forced to declare bankruptcy. The ownership of the land passed to Wentworth Estates Ltd, which came under the control of Sir Lindsay Parkinson & Co Ltd.
Today Wentworth is the headquarters of the PGA European Tour and each year it hosts the Tour’s BMW PGA Championship. It was the venue of the 1953 Ryder Cup and of the HSBC World Match Play Championship from 1964 until 2007.
The club is surrounded by and entwined with the Wentworth Estate, one of the most expensive private estates in the London suburbs, which was built at the same time, where many top golfers and other celebrities have homes. One of them is Ernie Els, who became the club’s “world-wide touring professional” in 2005.
Over the winter of 2005-06 Els, who is developing a golf course design practice, made alterations to the West Course, lengthening it by 310 yards (280 m) and adding 30 bunkers. Wentworth also boasts a Tennis & Health Club. The Wentworth Tennis and Health Club consists of a gymnasium, dance studio, health spa, ozone swimming pool and jacuzzi, crèche facilities, changing rooms, and a café. The extensive facility was completed in 1997 for £9 million by Architects Broadway Malyan.
In 2004 the club was purchased by fashion industry entrepreneur Richard Caring for £130 million and in 2014, the club was sold to Beijing-based Reignwood Investments for £135m.
Initially tasked with carrying out a Measured Building Survey of the club house, MobileCAD were asked to carry out further surveys of the leisure complex including gym and spa area, tennis courts and associated accesses. An extended topographical survey was also carried out and also initial investigation into a network of tunnels around the site.
