INK is now dry on a deal to secure the future of Silsden Golf Club by selling the site and turning its National Lottery-funded clubhouse into a luxury bungalow.

Bradford Council planners have granted permission to turn the clubhouse on the 50-acre 18-hole course at Brunthwaite into a large single dwelling.

The clubhouse was built in 2001 with the aid of a £670,000 National Lottery grant while the club raised £200,000 in the hope its function room would yield a good income

Instead the club became swamped with debt as it struggled to repay loans and last year found rescue from closure by striking a deal which would provide a five-year lease on the course and use of a smaller building as a members' bar.

Conversion of the clubhouse will involve removing the existing male and female changing rooms together with the bars, function room, meeting room and office areas.

These areas will be used to form a living room area, dining and kitchen area and four bedrooms.

The existing semi-circular conservatory on the south elevation will be retained and dry stone walls will be built to separate the new bungalow from the golf club's small building, which would be re-fitted with fresh facilities upstairs to be shared by the club's 130 members.

Golf club secretary Tom Starkie said that while the sale of the club had not depended on gaining planning permission for the proposed redevelopment, it was only this week that the sale had been completed.

"Contracts had been exchanged, but the sale finally went through last Monday, although that wasn't conditional on planning approval," he said.

"It all took time as we had to make sure that all concerned were satisfied with the situation, including Sport England about their grant," Mr Starkie said.

A licensing application for the relocated bar has already been lodged with Bradford Council and Mr Starkie said club members were now celebrating the start of a relaxed summer of golf.

"We have the security of a five-year lease, which we'll discuss extending after an initial three years, and so now we can concentrate on playing.

"This has always been a club which has had a very open and progressive membership policy - we're not full of colonels and generals and have always kept the fees as low as possible.

"We do have rules and regulations on the course, just as every club does. But we're not stuffy about it.

"However, jeans are still not permitted on the course - which is something voted on by our members every couple of years or so and is a democratic decision," Mr Starkie said.

“Now we are all looking forward to just enjoying golf this summer.”