Billingbear Park Golf Course

Martin Blainey is the M.D. of Sunaction Ltd the company that runs Billingbear Park Golf Course. His wife Jacquie is Company Secretary.

Martin began his career as a golf club professional. He always harboured an ambition to own his own golf course, one that was welcoming and friendly unlike the stuffy golf clubs of that time where golf was only for the wealthy, professional types.

Jacquie was a music teacher for many years and gave up teaching when she had their son Gregg and daughter Laura.

In 1989 the couple built their first golf course near Letchworth, Hertfordshire. The course is now called Chesfield Downs and is part of the Crown Golf group. 

 The golf complex at Letchworth proved to be a huge undertaking. Employing some 40 people meant that almost all of the time was taken up with administration. Martin and Jacquie both knew that this was not for them so when a buyer came along, they were happy to sell the golf course and begin their search for a small, manageable golf course where they could create their own atmosphere.

In 1997 the search was over. They found Billingbear Park Golf Course which at the time was a basic, little known golf course. Over the next 13 years they developed the par 3 course and then set about minor things like getting electricity to the site and building a machine shed. The Old Course was also developed into a super test of golf.

For nine years the business operated from a portacabin, but the atmosphere in that little shed was always friendly and welcoming. The present clubhouse was built in 2005 and the friendly atmosphere continues to this day.

Regular users of the course can see that the work to make Billingbear into a super golf course continues all the time. The greens are renowned to be among the best in  Berkshire, but the fees are still affordable.  Beginners are welcomed onto the tricky par three course, and many of our golfers began there before graduating onto the beautiful main course.