The Watford Borough Council and West Herts Golf Club Joint Consultative Committee are scheduled to meet to discuss the club's performance and planned course closures. The meeting will include a review of the JCC figures for 2025, and a discussion of West Herts Golf Club's (WHGC) plans for 2026.

West Herts Golf Club Course Closures

The committee is scheduled to review the proposed course closures for 2026. According to the agenda, eight course closures are scheduled:

1. 9 May 2026 for the WHGC Men's Spring Meeting
2. 13 June 2026 for the Millennium Competition Round 1
3. 14 June 2026 for the Millennium Competition Round 2
4. 20 June 2026 for the Millennium Competition Round 3
5. 11 July 2026 for the WHGC Captain's Day
6. 12 September 2026 for the WHGC Scratch Gold
7. 20 September 2026 for the WHGC Finals Day
8. 4 December 2026 for the Christmas Grand Charity Event

The report pack notes that there will be one less closure than in the previous year.

The committee is also scheduled to discuss events that will result in changed access times for the public and club members:

1. 12 April 2026 for the Captains Drive In
2. 4 July 2026 for the WHGC Club Open Day & BBQ
3. 28 August 2026 for the WHGC Men's Invitation

JCC Figures 2025

The committee is scheduled to discuss the JCC figures for 2025. The report pack includes a table of figures showing the actual usage from January to December 2025, compared with original and revised targets.

The figures also include a breakdown of pass holders, split between residents, non-residents and Everyone Active pass holders.

In the 2024 meeting, the committee discussed the importance of collecting broader data, distinguishing between residents and non-residents, and Councillor Amanda Grimston emphasised the need for inclusivity.

Minutes from the 2024 Meeting

The minutes from the meeting held on 10 October 2024 are scheduled to be submitted and signed.

The minutes include a discussion of usage statistics presented by Eric Woodward, who was the Chair of West Herts Golf Club at the time. He noted a positive uptake from local residents, and that the course was operating at near capacity at certain times, which he attributed to the high quality of the course.

Councillor Amanda Grimston asked about the club's marketing efforts, and Eric Woodward said that the club remained full despite other local clubs, such as Bushey Hall, struggling or closing.

The Associate Director of Environment and Communities asked about the percentage of participants who were children and young people, and Councillor Grimston questioned whether the club measured participation among ethnic minority groups. Eric Woodward confirmed that all age groups were active, and that the club observed increasing participation by young Asian people.

The Sports and Physical Activity Manager mentioned that the club were getting a new booking system which would enable them to collect broader data, distinguishing between residents and non-residents. Wesley Cooper acknowledged that the 2021 booking system was widely used, but needed to be handled carefully in accordance with GDPR¹ regulations.

Councillor Hofman compared the data collection practices of leisure facilities in Watford, such as the Palace Theatre and Woodside Leisure Centre, which did not request demographic information during class or ticket bookings, and suggested implementing a form for all visitors to fill out, enabling demographic data collection weekly or bi-weekly.

David Rogers discussed the extensive efforts made regarding diversity, highlighting that the Joint Consultative Committee's non-discriminatory agreement emphasised understanding different groups rather than finding fault, and noted that the club had recently received accreditation for its work on promoting women in golf.

The Associate Director of Environment and Communities provided an update on the bike trails, stating that the previous Golf Club Manager had been actively engaged in the process, and that an application had been submitted for the neighbourhood grant. Councillor Hofman asked about the bike trail's location, and the Associate Director of Environment and Communities discussed the bike trail's potential to relieve pressure on Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)² and emphasised the need for Natural England³ to hold the council accountable for SSSI management.

David Rogers reported a positive meeting with Watford Museum and its historian, Margaret, although no further updates had been received after the meeting. The Associate Director of Environment and Communities highlighted the museum as a significant project, emphasising grassroots support for informing design and display elements related to sports in Watford, and that the design process was set to continue until February next year, with the museum projected to be completed by 2026.

Councillor Hofman mentioned the West Herts tree-planting initiative, to which the Associate Director of Environment and Communities responded that grant funding was available for replanting, but clarified that the focus was on thinning trees to enhance biodiversity rather than having new ones planted.