Protest Held Over Plans To Close Ifield Golf Club For 3,000-Home Development

(c)  Ifield Golf Club

Campaigners have staged a protest against plans to close Ifield Golf Club in West Sussex to make way for a major housing development.

Homes England, which has owned the site since 2020, has informed the club it will need to vacate by April 2027.

The land forms part of a proposal for around 3,000 new homes, although the plans have not yet been approved and will still need to be considered by Horsham District Council.

Members say the club’s closure would be a huge blow to the community, particularly as 2027 marks its centenary year.

Golf manager and England Boys selector Alan Covey said the news came shortly before Christmas and has left many members devastated.

He said there are limited alternative facilities locally and fears some players – including young golfers – may be lost to the sport altogether.

Beyond the sporting impact, members say the club is an important social lifeline, supporting friendships, wellbeing and community life.

Longstanding member Gillean Fuller, who has played at the club for 40 years, said many people had built lifelong friendships there and would be heartbroken to lose it.

Another member, James Shelford, who has belonged to the club for six decades, said the prospect of closure would leave a significant void in many people’s lives.

Homes England said it had provided as much notice as possible and intends to continue pursuing the development.

Horsham District Council said it could not comment on an ongoing planning application.

If the plans are not approved, the site would remain allocated for outdoor sports use.