NORTHWICK PARK - THE FIRST OF A NEW GENERATION OF SPORTS FACILITIES

27 September 2005: Contact David Piggins, Playgolf (Holdings) Plc, +44 (0)1926 422320

Northwick Park, Playgolf Holdings Plc’s latest development, is the first of a new generation of public sports facilities.

We live in an era characterised by declining sports participation and increasing obesity. Interest in sport is massive but has been focused on observation because the reality is that we do not have the kind of sports complexes available to the general public which might act as a catalyst to participation.

Northwick Park addresses the problems head on. To start with the quality of the complex is only matched in some of the UK’s most exclusive clubs. There are a range of sporting and non sporting activities to suit all sorts, with the emphasis as much on women as it is on men and on children as much as it is on adults. This is a family centre not because we say so but because every member of the family can have fun independently.

In brief the facilities are as follows: 6 hole golf course, a short game academy, children’s course and putting course, mini golf, baseball batting cages, 2 tier 60 bay driving range, 5 bay golf coaching studio, health club, ‘Amano’ café bar, golf store and conference/party rooms.

To expand slightly:-

The 6 hole course addresses the key issue facing golf right now, time. It takes too long and people are leaving the game because of it. ‘Golf in an Hour’ is the principle behind the course but the delivery is pure fantasy. Inspired by famous holes from around the world the golf course has to be seen to be believed and is certainly London’s best conditioned course.

The short game is what distinguishes the good from the great. Peter McEvoy, Walker Cup Captain and twice Amateur Champion thinks that 80% of practise time should be spent on it. This has been described as the best in the UK.

These 2 parts of Northwick Park, together with the driving range and coaching studios have led to it’s adoption by the English Golf Union, the Ladies Golf Union, the Golf Foundation and the Middlesex County Golf Union. The new ‘Whole Sport Plan for Golf’ describes it as the benchmark for future golf developments.

The children’s course, putting complex and mini golf are all fun, non skilled, activities. The driving range is the most stylish ever built in the UK and the coaching studios are heaving with the latest techno wizardry.

The 9 baseball batting cages are the first in the UK and allow all ages and standards to have fun. London’s first baseball diamond and 5 softball pitches are to be built adjoining the golf course and Northwick Park is to become the National Centre for Baseball and Softball.

Inside the spectacular pavilion is The Golf Store, 6,500 sq ft of golfers Aladdin’s Cave with the very latest in fashion, equipment and service. The Amano café/bar is going to be something very special. Great quality food, all hand made in front of you in a very stylish but relaxed setting. The environment evolves through the day focussing on the different needs of each meal time. It has one or two little extra advantages – it looks over one of the prettiest gardens in London (our golf course!) framed by Harrow School on one side and Wembley stadium on the other, and you can park right outside the door.

Our gym is called ‘Uniq’ and we hope that is how you will find the environment. There will be classes designed specifically around the requirements of golf and baseball/softball with both casual golfers and the elite squads catered for. There will of course be the usual range of aerobics and pilates classes. Personal service will again be a feature and there will be a range of treatments available from sports physiotherapy to pampering.

Finally, we have 3 meeting rooms which each house up to 24 in a boardroom style or can be opened up to cater for larger functions. Stylish male and female changing rooms complete the package.

For us its been 5 years in the making. For local residents the wait has been even greater. If the reaction of the press is anything to go by it will have been worth waiting for.

David Piggins
Playgolf (Holdings) Plc
September 2005

CONTACT:
Playgolf (Holdings) Plc
Tel: +44 (0)1962 422320
Email: davidpiggins@playgolfworld.com
Playgolf (Holdings) Plc, 4-12 Morton St, Leamington Spa, Warkwickshire CV32 5SY, United Kingdom

Northwick Park
Tel: +44 (0)20 8864 2020
Web: www.northwickpark.com
Email: info@northwickpark.com
Northwick Park, Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3TZ

PRESS CONTACT:
Andy Hiseman, Hiseman Limited