A DARTMOOR golf club is ready to stake its future on a massive makeover – losing six of its holes but gaining padel and pickleball courts, a revamped clubhouse and holiday accommodation.

Members of the Dartmoor National Park Authority’s planning committee will consider the application from Teign Valley Golf Club when it meets next week.

They will hear that the club is not viable in its current form and would be likely to close if it did not make radical changes.

Planning officers will advise members to approve the plans, albeit with a long list of conditions.

The club wants to shorten its 18-hole course at Christow to 12 holes instead, with ‘rewilding’ of some of the existing areas.

An extended clubhouse could include 12 rooms for visitor accommodation, and a ‘farmstead’ building could provide 10 more.

Sixteen Scandinavian-style ‘eco-cabins’ could also be built to accommodate visitors.

In addition, a new hut could be built for golfers to prepare for their rounds, along with two padel courts and two pickleball courts.

A planning officer’s report to the committee says golf clubs across the country need to attract both golfers and non-golfers, and the long-term viability of the business depends on diversifying its facilities while keeping golf as its main activity.

The report goes on: ‘The stated vision is to reposition Teign Valley Golf Club as a contemporary, family-oriented golf, leisure, and hospitality venue for the local community.’

The club’s application says: ‘The proposals embody a thoughtful approach, prioritising landscape preservation, biodiversity, and the rich heritage of Dartmoor within the plans.

‘Careful attention has been given, and sensitive design employed, to preserve and restore the natural beauty of Dartmoor.

'Through thoughtful design and community engagement, we aim to positively contribute to Dartmoor National Park’s long-term stewardship, fostering harmony between nature and human activities.’

Of the 107 letters received by the authority about the plan, 86 were in support, with people saying the development would be good for the local environment as well as encouraging more people to the club.

Objectors cited flooding issues, traffic and the loss of a local asset.

Planning director Dean Kinsella says in his report that while the development’s new buildings would mean some harm to the historic environment and sensitive landscape, this would be offset by careful design and landscaping.