A new international membership available from England’s famous Stoke Park Country Club, Spa & Hotel.
The ‘Colt International Membership’ is available only to those whose permanent residence is outside of the UK and entitles the holder to up to 12 rounds of golf, plus all the usual country club member benefits. And all for less than €2,300 per year.
This is really an interesting golf tourist segment who Stoke Park is trying to attract. However, I would love to hear what can Stoke Park offer to:
- Female golfer and golf traveler: we can see more and more women who are not in the “box” of a wife, but a single person with significant purchasing power.
- “Boomsters” (the baby Boomer hipster; born between 1946-64). They are providing an interesting challenge not just for Stoke Park, but to many well-established hotels. These people are looking for adventure traveling + diverse and energetic environment.
- Business travelers: who are eagerly looking for convenience services that can save them time from business and travel demands (e.g. high-speed Wi-Fi, digital wallets/mobile payment solutions, wearables (e.g. smartwatches)). For the same reason, I asked last year the owner of Golfasian, Mark Siegel about the phenomenon of ‘bleisure‘: business & leisure.).
- Halal golf tourists: Muslim business travel expected to be a $22 billion market by 2020 (source: JWT Intelligence).
What were the recent major achievements and changes at Stoke Park?
In 2015 Stoke Park was named UK golf’s ‘Ultimate Members Club‘ at the 59Club Service Excellence Awards.
During the winter of 2015/16, every bunker on the Colt course – the first nine holes of the historic 27-hole layout – underwent a major renovation to both shape and size, as part of a seven-figure investment in a facelift of the whole course. And this winter, a similar overhaul of the Alison course – holes nine to 18 – is underway as Stoke Park looks to bring the second nine into line with the aesthetic quality and playability the front nine now enjoys.
And this winter, a similar overhaul of the Alison course – holes nine to 18 – is underway as Stoke Park looks to bring the second nine into line with the aesthetic quality and playability the front nine now enjoys.
