The All England Club has scored a huge boost for the future of the Wimbledon Championships after acquiring 73 acres of land from a nearby golf club.
Members of the Wimbledon Park Golf Club have voted to accept the offer set out by Wimbledon chiefs. As part of a £65 million agreement, 750 members will receive an estimated £80,000 each. Including TV presenters Ant and Dec. A Thursday night vote saw 82% of members backing the proposal. Surpassing the required benchmark of 75%.
The All England Club already owned the lease of the golf club, which was set to run out in 2041. However, they wanted to bring it forward in order to expand and develop the grounds of the grand slam. Once approved by the court, the total size of Wimbledon will be increased to 115 acres.
“The decision of the Wimbledon Park Golf Club members to vote in favour of the acquisition offer is a hugely significant moment for the AELTC and The Championships.” Said chairman Philip Brook.
“We have achieved what we set out to do many months ago in having certainty in our planning for the future.”
It is the third time the AELTC have made a bid to take over the golf course, which is 120 years old. In 2015 58% of members rejected a £25 million bid. This year that figured was upped to £50 million before a final offer of £65 million was put forward.
One of the key future plans for Wimbledon is to hold the qualifying tournament on site. At present, players hoping to qualify for the main draw have to play at the Bank of England sports ground in Roehampton. A venue that is a 10-minute drive away. Roehampton has hosted Wimbledon qualifying every year since 1947.
“’We have been open in our long-term ambition to move the Qualifying Competition from its current home in Roehampton to the AELTC Grounds as part of our mission to continue to maintain the position of The Championships as the pinnacle of the sport.” Said Brook.
“Furthermore, we have the ambition to open the land up to increased public use in the future.”
According to The Telegraph, the plan is to build approximately 25 new grass courts. The All England Club has already stated that there will be no “multi-storey car parks and shopping villages” built.
The 18-hole golf course will continue to be in use until December 31st, 2021. Then work will start on redevelopment soon after.
