Welcome to a reinvigorated Teign Valley
Since 360 Sycamore Ltd acquired the Teign Valley Golf Club, we have been carefully considering how we can create a sustainable and vibrant future for the site, while protecting and enhancing the landscape and environment of the Dartmoor National Park.
Our Vision
We are drawing up plans which will allow people to visit and enjoy the National Park and experience the landscape, wildlife and sense of place, while respecting the surrounding natural environment.
In updating the golfing offer to take into account these important ecological considerations, we will be able to create more precious space for nature.
The National Park’s vision is to make Dartmoor better for future generations: climate resilient, nature rich, beautiful, connected to the past and looking to the future; a place where people of all ages and backgrounds can live, work or visit. A place that is loved, cherished and cared for.
Our proposals for the Golf Club will see it take its place as a prime example of how businesses can adapt to enable this vision to become a reality while creating an economically sustainable model.
We want to see nature return on a grand scale. Across extensive areas of the existing golf course the land will be given back to species-rich habitats such as developing Atlantic rainforest, diverse grasslands, scrub and wetlands.
At the same time, we want to reinvigorate our sport, leisure and eco-friendly accommodation offerings, to provide outstanding facilities for all to enjoy at an inclusive, family friendly high-quality visitor destination. There is also an urgent requirement for significant investment in the course’s irrigation system, which is no longer fit for purpose.
The 360 team are serious about sustainability, serious about golf, and serious about hospitality. We believe a reinvigorated Teign Valley Golf Club will create an exceptional National Park experience.
A key focus is sustainability – both for the club and for the special environment in which it is set.
This new woodland and species-rich grassland will create a vibrant habitat for wildlife.
Golfers will be able to enjoy a new 12-hole course experience, allowing them to play a six, 12 or 18-hole game.
Overnight visitors will be able to benefit from eco-friendly cabins and farmsteads, while everyone will be welcome at the country inn and restaurant.
History of the site
The Teign Valley Golf Club sits on the eastern edge of the Dartmoor National Park, alongside the River Teign which flows southwards before joining the River Bovey further south.
Ordnance Survey maps show that the site of the course, which opened in 1995, was little different to the surrounding farmland before the club was planned.
Ten years after it opened, the club changed hands, and soon after this the Dartmoor National Park granted planning permission for an extension to the original clubhouse.
This extension included new hotel bedrooms, a larger dining room, and locker, training and treatment rooms. This work was largely completed by January 2007 but little more than two years later the club changed hands again. Further planning permission was then granted for a revised restaurant extension, and a new boiler and storage shed.
In May 2013, a devastating fire destroyed part of the timber-framed hotel and roof. A planning application to replace it with a 19-bedroom hotel on the same footprint was granted by the National Park in 2015, but this development was never completed.
In July 2022, the course was once again on the market and seeking new owners.
Still yet to undergo refurbishment 11 years after the blaze, the sad remains of the hotel are an ongoing reminder that significant investment is needed to help ensure the business’s long-term future.
A sustainable landscape
The conservation and enhancement of the unique character of the National Park needs to be balanced with the day-to-day needs of people who live and work there, and with the needs of the hundreds of thousands of people who visit it each year.
Like most golf courses in the country, Teign Valley has seen years of regular maintenance which has included intensive grass cutting and the use of herbicides and fertilisers to maintain a playable course.
Because of this, there are large areas of grassland which are ecologically in a poor condition and support very little biodiversity.
The site sits between several nearby ecological corridors, including ancient woodland, semi-ancient woodland and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
There are several areas of woodland on site, with three being home to natural mature broadleaf trees. Sadly, the ash trees are heavily impacted by ash dieback, but there are healthy populations of oak and goat willow trees, among others.
Mixed plantations are dominated by Scots pine and hybrid larch, with some maple trees.
Overall, surveys by a team of expert ecologists concluded that in terms of biodiversity, much of the site is in poor or moderate condition, with only some of the woodlands and trees, and the hedgerows, being in good condition.
Image: Alan Hunt
Atlantic Rainforest
Dartmoor’s sloping valleys, soaring hills, and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, create the conditions for a variety of ecosystems, microclimates, habitats and species to exist.
The site sits close to existing areas of incredibly rare Atlantic rainforest. Also known as temperate or Celtic rainforest, Atlantic rainforests are biodiverse habitats which occur in mild, humid coastal areas that experience heavy rainfall.
It is not possible simply to plant new Atlantic rainforest, but it is possible to create the conditions in which it can grow and thrive in the future.
Bovey Woods, six miles away, is home to a rich variety of wildlife, some of it very rare or endangered, such as the Dartford warbler, the hazel dormouse, silver-washed fritillaries, the pied flycatcher, and much more.
A haven for nature
Our proposals offer an opportunity to provide a substantial biodiversity net gain on site, for woodland regeneration and ecological enhancement.
This would create a more resilient landscape in keeping with the surrounding area, which can withstand climate change, and encourage greater access to nature for all ages and backgrounds.
It would be a guardian for Dartmoor’s wildlife, with new trees and wildflower planting inviting an array of birds, insects and mammals to call the site their home.
Other environmental initiatives would include:
Rainwater harvesting to reduce dependency on mains water. This water can be used for irrigation and maintenance cleaning.
More sustainable course management and maintenance, with less reliance on herbicides and fertilisers.
Use of recycled, renewable and low-impact building materials
A sustainable business
While golf remains popular in the UK, all the indications are that the sport as a whole is not doing enough to attract new generations to experience all that it has to offer
Increasing pressures on family time, cost and accessibility have all been cited as reasons why people are choosing to spend their leisure time elsewhere.
Pre-covid, courses in England were closing at a rate of around one every six weeks. At the same time, the number of junior registered players fell from six percent of the total to three per cent.
The latest figures show that 84% of registered golfers are adult males.
The team at 360 loves golf as much as the members at Teign Valley do, and we want to make sure the venue has a sustainable future by offering the sort of facilities younger generations expect, while still providing the great golfing experience today’s members enjoy in a wholly inclusive way.
The introduction of a 12-hole golf course brings numerous opportunities. It will help to broaden the appeal of golf to new generations, while providing space for improved natural habitats as well as other activities and uses, such as racquet sports and eco-friendly accommodation for short visitor stays while removing the cost of membership as a barrier to entry.
Our aim is to provide a vibrant leisure venue which will quickly become a much-loved community asset.
We envisage an eco-friendly visitor experience, where overnight guests will enjoy high-quality accommodation, located to offer privacy and seclusion, while also remaining close to the main hub of facilities.
We will also ensure that Teign Valley provides high-quality food and drink sourced whenever possible from local suppliers, helping to support the wider Dartmoor economy.
The Masterplan
Nature restoration plan
Across extensive areas of the existing golf course the land will be given back to species rich habitats such as developing Atlantic rainforest, diverse grasslands, scrub and wetlands. Watercourses will flow freely from their current state and improvements to existing features such as woodland and hedgerows will be carried out to rapidly and robustly build natural abundance.
Visitors to the course will play golf alongside amazing wildlife of the National Park. The views from the Country Inn, Farmsteads and facilities building will lead the eye over natural landscape and out through the interconnected woodlands of the Teign Valley and its beautiful river. Plus, species recovery will occur due to this ecological integrity. The expectation being the recolonisation of species such as Goshawk, Pied Flycatcher, Royal Fern, Cuckoo, Redstart and Wood Warbler, amongst many others.
With this investment into the golf course comes much needed care towards landscape restoration and future resilience, supporting local communities, local wildlife and most importantly strengthening the overall ecosystem by the reconnection of currently fragmented habitats, which further build the value of the National Park to the South-West region.
A new golf course
Course reconfiguration helps to address the design weaknesses commonly associated with unsustainable golf courses, such as poor irrigation and drainage, which can be disruptive to play and the natural surroundings.
To help ensure that golf thrives in the future, a remodelling of the golfing experience is essential.
Designed by world-renowned course designer Tom Mackenzie, the new 12-hole golf course, featuring a broader and more exciting mix of holes, will allow large areas of the site to be returned to nature and species-rich habitats.
It will also address the urgent need for significant investment into the course’s irrigation system, which is at the end of its useful life.
The new course will celebrate the wider landscape and create a more natural National Park golf experience than the previous design. A commitment to the reduction of chemicals in golf green and fairway management is also planned.
The new Teign Valley will cater for golfers of all kinds. The reconfigured course will appeal to those who are unable to commit the time to a full 18-hole experience, and will offer the opportunity to play either six or twelve holes. At the same time, it will still be possible to complete 18 holes by playing an additional one of the two six-hole loops.
We believe Tom’s expertise will ensure that the venue is not only fit for the future, but at the cutting-edge of the sport.
Tom’s expertise is inspired by the evolution of golf. Once a traditional game, it is now entering a new era. Presenting a different way of playing golf, his designs create a game which is more inclusive, sustainable and accessible to those of us who are time-poor.
Sport for all
In addition to creating more space for nature, our proposals involve the introduction of new fast-growing sports to Teign Valley.
Padel tennis is supported in Britain by the Lawn Tennis Association – the people who bring us Wimbledon every year – and is one of the fastest growing sports in the world.
There are now more than 350 padel courts in the country, with a new professional tour emerging.
Effectively it is a cross between tennis and squash. It’s usually played in doubles in an enclosed court where the ball can bounce off the walls. Winning relies on strategy rather than simply strength, and it’s very easy to learn. It’s an ideal game for men, women and youngsters to play together.
Pickleball, like padel tennis, is supported in Britain by the Lawn Tennis Association. It combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, into a game for people of all ages.
The court is the same size as a badminton court, with a shorter tennis-style net.
The game is easy to learn, fun to play and is a great way to exercise – you can easily burn 300 calories in half an hour!
Improved facilities
As well as investing in new space for nature we are planning to invest in the facilities at Teign Valley
We are proposing a sensitively designed extension to the existing clubhouse, to create a new country inn and restaurant. Architecturally, this is designed to integrate into the landscape while creating a more welcoming first impression for visitors.
This involves removing an unattractive blockwork retaining wall which offers visitors much improved views of the building.
The golf reception remains separate from the country inn reception, maintaining the existing layout for changing rooms. The proposals will also make the buildings more accessible, with the addition of a lift, and DDA compliant guestrooms.
We intend to use rammed earth, a traditional construction material, will be used to create a distinctive look and to ensure a minimal carbon footprint. It employs natural materials that are locally sourced, such as earth, gravel, and clay. These require minimal processing and energy input, significantly reducing the carbon footprint associated with production. The pictures here show the existing building (bottom left) with an image of what the new country inn could look like (above), although this artist’s impression is not necessarily the final version.
