Key Points
- Bury Golf Club has become the first members-only club to sign up for Link Club, which is the members-only wing of Link Golf UK.
- According to the report by Alistair Dunsmuir in The Golf Business, 97% of members supported the move following a members’ presentation and vote.
- This is the first time that Link Golf UK has brought a proposal like this to a full membership vote.
- The club retains its name, crest, freehold and elected board, with Link Golf UK taking over operations and the risk.
- Staff will also transfer on TUPE terms and conditions.
- Link Golf UK will invest an initial £500,000, including a members bar, outdoor terrace, changing facilities, toilets, course equipment and a fleet of robotic mowers.
- Andrew Terry, Link Golf UK co-founder and CEO, said the company aims to be “the custodians this club deserves.”
- Bury Golf Club was founded in 1890 and has strong historical ties to six-time Open champion Harry Vardon and golf course designer Dr. Alister MacKenzie.
Bury (Manchester Mirror) October 30, 2026 — Bury Golf Club has agreed to join Link Golf UK, becoming the first private members’ club to sign up to Link Club, the operator’s private members’ division. The decision followed a members’ presentation and vote, with 97 per cent of members supporting the proposal.
As reported by Alistair Dunsmuir of The Golf Business, the vote was the first occasion on which Link Golf UK had presented a proposal to a full membership for approval. The operator said the outcome reflected members’ support for a model that retains the club’s identity while transferring operational responsibility to Link Golf UK.
Under the arrangement, Bury Golf Club will keep its name, badge, freehold and elected board. The board will continue to oversee competitions, handicaps, team matches and the club calendar, while membership fees will be set in consultation with the board.
Link Golf UK will take on the day-to-day running of the club and carry the financial risk. Visitor green fees will fill tee times not reserved for members’ competitions, while members’ competition times will be ring-fenced.
What Investment Will Link Golf UK Make at Bury?
Link Golf UK has committed £500,000 of phase one investment at Bury Golf Club. According to The Golf Business, the investment will fund a modern members’ bar with an outdoor terrace overlooking the 18th green, as well as new locker rooms, showers and toilets.
Further spending is planned for the course and maintenance equipment. The programme includes a fleet of robotic mowers, a greens turf iron and a new maintenance regime.
The club’s existing greenkeeping team will deliver the course work, supported by Link Golf UK’s group course manager, Jared Ellison.
What Did Andrew Terry Say About the Vote?
Andrew Terry, co-founder and chief executive of Link Golf UK, described the vote as a significant moment for the company. As reported by Alistair Dunsmuir of The Golf Business, Terry said:
“This was our first ever members’ presentation and vote and standing in front of a room full of people who care that much about their club is a reminder of exactly what we are being trusted with.”
He added:
“The members have looked after Bury for a long time. Joe and I take that responsibility very seriously and we intend to be the custodians this club deserves.”
Terry also referred to his personal connection with the area. “I grew up just down the road in Heywood and went to college here in Bury, so I know exactly what this club means to the town and what its reputation once was,” he said, according to The Golf Business.
He said Bury was “a special golf club with a fantastic layout” and that Link Golf UK believed it could become “one of the very best clubs in the region”.
Terry repeated the message publicly after the vote. In a social media post, he wrote that members had “chosen” Link Golf UK to run the club and thanked those who attended, asked questions and placed their trust in the operator.
How Does the Link Club Model Work?
The Link Club model separates ownership and governance from daily management. Bury Golf Club retains its freehold, name, badge and elected board, while Link Golf UK manages operations and assumes financial risk.
Members’ fees will continue to be set with the board, and the board will retain control of competitions, handicaps, team matches and the club calendar.
Staff employed by the club will transfer to Link Golf UK under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations, known as TUPE. Their terms and conditions will be protected as part of the transfer.
The arrangement also provides for visitor green fees to occupy remaining tee times, while protecting time allocated for members’ competitions.
Why Is Bury Golf Club Significant?
Bury Golf Club was founded in 1890 and is described by The Golf Business as one of the north west’s historic clubs. It has a long-standing connection with Harry Vardon, the six-time Open champion, and its course was designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie.
The club’s decision is notable because it is the first private members’ club to join Link Club. Link Golf UK has previously operated mainly in the municipal club sector.
The company was founded in 2019 by PGA professional Andrew Terry and Joe Jackson, whose background is in finance. It was established to save Marland Golf Course in Rochdale from closure after the council said the course was losing about £200,000 a year.
Link Golf UK recently launched Link Club as its arm for private members’ clubs. The Golf Business reported on October 25 that Andrew Terry had been appointed the company’s first chief executive.
Background of the Development
Bury Golf Club’s move follows the launch of Link Club, which Link Golf UK describes as its private members’ club division. The operator’s stated focus for Link Club venues is growing membership and improving course conditions.
The Bury agreement differs from a conventional takeover because the club retains its freehold and elected board. Link Golf UK’s role is to manage operations, invest in facilities and course maintenance, and absorb the financial risk of running the business.
The 97 per cent vote followed a members’ presentation, giving the membership a direct say in whether the club should enter the arrangement. It was also the first full-membership vote held by Link Golf UK on such a proposal.
The £500,000 phase one commitment is intended to address both clubhouse facilities and course infrastructure. The planned works include a members’ bar and terrace, changing facilities, robotic mowers, a greens turf iron and a new maintenance programme.
Prediction: What Could This Mean for Members and Golf Clubs?
For Bury Golf Club members, the immediate effect is likely to be continued member-led competition and governance alongside externally funded facility and course improvements. The agreement preserves the board’s role in competitions, handicaps, team matches and fee-setting, while moving daily management and financial risk to Link Golf UK.
Members may see changes in clubhouse facilities and course maintenance as the £500,000 phase one programme is delivered. The planned members’ bar, terrace, changing facilities and new machinery are intended to improve both the member experience and course presentation.
For staff, the TUPE transfer is designed to protect existing terms and conditions, although day-to-day management will pass to Link Golf UK.
For other private members’ clubs, Bury’s vote may be watched as an early test of the Link Club model. If the investment and operating arrangement deliver the intended improvements without reducing member influence, other clubs facing capital constraints or operational pressures could consider similar proposals. The outcome at Bury will therefore provide an early indication of whether private members’ clubs are willing to exchange some operational control for external investment and management support.
