Eagle eye oversees Ingrebourne rise

Ingrebourne Links Golf and Country Club’s general manager Dominic Eagle (left) alongside Ingrebourne Valley Ltd chairman John Pryor and his wife Judy.

Ingrebourne Links Golf and Country Club’s association with the PGA in England, East region stepped up a significant notch this month with the sponsorship of a first Order of Merit event at the superb Essex venue.

Ingrebourne Links, owned by Ingrebourne Valley Ltd, has gained many admirers over the previous four years by staging a well-supported Par-3 Championship. The latest recruit to the ‘mini-links’ fan club is Luke Goddard who recently won the fifth renewal of the event.

But appreciation for the rapidly developing site has soared after many of the region’s top PGA professionals competed for the first time on the North Course. This is one of three nine-hole lay-outs – designed by PGA honorary member and master professional, Alan Walker – that are all intended to be open for play by the latter end of 2020. The ‘secret’ is in the course’s name. The gorse that flanks the fairways and the bunkering really offer a links-y feel to the place. 

Andrew Pestell was victorious in the inaugural Order of Merit tournament and understandably was fulsome in his praise for the North Course, which only opened for play last September. “The lay-out is fantastic,” said Pestell who was equally complimentary about the venue as a whole.

But the acclaim didn’t just come from the winner. The vast majority of the players were very positive, with the widely-held view being that Ingrebourne Links has huge potential as the seasons unfold. The next step is for the East Course to open for play. This is expected next summer but the ever-unpredictable British weather will have a key part to play in that plan.       

“We’re really keen for the guys to be able to play this event on 18 holes and we’re working hard to get the East nine on line for next year,” says Ingrebourne Valley’s general manager Dominic Eagle, who has been a PGA professional for over 30 years.

“The East nine really complements the North nine. It is not as long as the North – that’s 3,700 yards and the east is 3,300 yards. But it has three par-3s and a 620-yard par-5. That sounds like a long hole but it’s slightly downhill and I think it will probably be our signature hole – it’s fantastic. So the combination of the two nines will be really special.”

It’s not just the golf amenities (there’s also a top-notch 30-bay driving range beside the par-3 course) that impresses at Ingrebourne Golf and Country Club. The site also boasts a large and contemporary-looking clubhouse, incorporating extensive fitness facilities, a spacious function room and stylish restaurant among other elements.

“We’re very much more than just a golf course,” emphasises Eagle. “In the world that we’re in we have to be commercial; we’ve got to make sure that we can make money to keep reinvesting into things like the golf course. Hence we have a large health and fitness side to the business with about 1200 members.”

The passion for Ingrebourne Links is evident in Eagle – a man whose surname suggests he was bound for a life in golf. A youthful-looking 50 years of age, he is thankful for the openings that his PGA status has presented him over the last 30 years.

“We had a junior event here the other day on the Par-3 course and I did the presentation,” outlines Eagle. “I very briefly let them know about my career path in that I was a junior golfer, played county golf as a junior for Essex and then became a professional. Now I’m managing and operating golf and country clubs, which I would never have been doing if I hadn’t gone through the route of being a PGA professional. The opportunities wouldn’t have arisen for me. So I’m very grateful that I passed my PGA exam back when I was about 20.”