Eastbourne Borough Council has announced that golf club operator Get Golfing has been selected to take over operations at Eastbourne Downs Golf Club in East Sussex.
The decision to award the operating contract to Get Golfing followed a bidding process that attracted interest from over 30 parties, with six submitting formal responses.
Eastbourne Downs, which is located on the South Downs overlooking Eastbourne, was founded in 1908 and boasts an 18-hole championship golf course designed by JH Taylor. One its proudest sons was Major Cyril Tolley, who the Amateur Championship in 1920 and 1929 and who played in the Walker Cup no fewer than seven times.
Chris Knight, a member of Get Golfing’s senior leadership team, said: “Get Golfing is thrilled to incorporate a club with such a rich and prestigious history into its portfolio.”
Knight added that Get Golfing’s founder, Ed Richardson, who sadly died last year, ‘would have been proud to have seen a club of the standing of Eastbourne Downs join the Get Golfing family’.
Get Golfing operates as a charitable organisation, reinvesting all surpluses back into its venues. The charity currently employs 250 salaried staff across its 12 golf venues – including Hampton Court Palace, Redlibbets and North Downs – supplemented by up to 300 seasonal staff. Annual revenues last year reached £19 million, with surpluses exceeding £2 million.
Over the past five years, Get Golfing has allocated approximately £7 million toward facility improvements. The organisation’s primary objectives centre on promoting golf participation and its associated health benefits. It prioritises delivering high quality playing surfaces and course presentations within an inclusive, welcoming atmosphere that remains financially accessible. Moreover, Get Golfing emphasises community integration, making concerted efforts to embed its clubs within their localities.