Oxford University has confirmed plans to redevelop the North Oxford Golf Club site into new housing after the course closes later this year, according to our Local Democracy Reporter Esme Kenney.
The 118-year-old club, located on a 70-acre site between Cutteslowe and the A34, is scheduled to shut by October 31 after members accepted a £4.3 million offer from the landowners – University of Oxford, Merton College and Exeter College. Around 1,180 homes are earmarked for the land under Cherwell District Council’s Local Plan.
A university spokesperson said the three landowners would spend the next year preparing a planning application, with consultations due to take place with local residents and stakeholders. The golf club will vacate the property when its lease expires in November 2025.
“It is not yet clear whether the homes will be affordable, market-based or student accommodation,” the spokesperson added. “The tenure of the homes is to be determined as we develop the planning application.”
The closure has left many members “devastated.” Long-standing golfer Margaret Hancox described the course as “a beautiful green wooded area in Oxford, and it’s going to disappear.” Fellow member Jill Norhover said the loss of the club would leave older players particularly vulnerable: “When it closes I think some of them will not play again.”
North Oxford Golf Club was established in 1907 and currently has about 450 members. Despite campaigning efforts under the banner Greenway Oxon, members were unable to prevent the closure.
The project is part of a wider expansion of housing in north Oxfordshire. In July 2024, plans for 800 homes between Oxford and Kidlington were approved, while the Oxford North development – which includes 480 homes as well as labs and workspaces – is already under construction.
Cherwell District Council has been contacted for comment.
