The Tracy Park hotel and golf club near Bath is to close to the public at the end of September after being sold to a private buyer, it has been revealed.
The Tracy Park estate is located in Wick, near Bath
Tracy Park, with its two championship 18-hole golf courses and Grade II listed 40-bed hotel, had been on the market with a guide price of £12 million.
It had been marketed by HMH Golf & Leisure as “one of the last remaining genuine leisure development opportunities available”.
The 240-acre estate was the home of the Tracy family for 300 years until it was developed into a golf hotel in 1974.
In 2021 it was reported that the current owners, the Shaw family, had hopes of turning the estate, which is in the Green Belt and Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, into one of the region’s finest four-star hotel and leisure complexes.
But last Thursday, 25th July, general manager Greg Shaw broke the news to golf club members that the business would be closing at the end of September and spoke of his family’s heartbreak at the decision.
In an email he said: “As many of you are aware, Tracy Park was placed on the market earlier this spring with the purpose to either find a new owner who can help retain the long-term future of the heritage asset or to demonstrate that our vision to develop the site as being the only viable option.
“Over the past few months, many potential purchasers and operators have viewed the property and had access to the historical trading figures and comprehensive planning applications and feedback.
“Regrettably, all leisure operators have similarly concluded that under the planning constraints and current business model, Tracy Park is not a viable operation.
“However, the current ownership have been approached by a private individual and a sale of Tracy Park has been agreed.
“With regret, I have to inform you this is on the provision that all business operations on the property are to cease as of Monday 30th September 2024.
“Therefore it is with a very heavy heart I have to announce that Tracy Park Golf Club will be closing on Monday 30th September 2024.
“I understand that this will be a massive shock to many members and will undoubtably cause a great deal of sadness and for this I am truly sorry.”
Mr Shaw continued: “As a family, when starting the new chapter at Tracy Park in 2019, our full intention and focus was to develop Tracy Park into a premier golf and leisure destination, yet after £300,000 investment in planning reports and applications, we have received very little sign of encouragement or belief that this ambition will be realised under current planning constraints.
“This, compounded with trading losses over the last two financial years of £456,000, and a particularly poor quarter one this financial year, mainly due to terrible weather conditions, mean we have had to detach our emotional ambitions and make the difficult business decision that the best option is to sell the property.”
Members have been told they are able to cancel their membership before the end of September if they wish.
Mr Shaw added: “We fully endeavour to operate the business to its normal functionality until 30th September, however there may be restrictions to some services depending on available staffing levels.
“At this point, I do ask all members to treat our staff with kindness and respect as they are currently having to deal with this sad development so I ask that all questions be communicated directly to me and not the team who have worked hard to try and make the business a success.
“Personally, I would finally like to say a big thank you to all of you for the support, warmth, custom and friendship shown to me and my family over the past five years.
“We are absolutely heartbroken to have to leave Tracy Park where we have started our young family, and had dearly hoped that this would be where we would raise that family, but sadly it will not be the case.
“I do hope that for those of you who wish to stay on until the end of September treat this time as a celebration of friendship and good golf, no matter how hard it may be at times.
“Once again, at this time I would like to thank you all and also apologise for having to communicate this very upsetting news.”
