Andy Mortimer visits the KP Club in Pocklington – perhaps the region’s fastest-improving golf centre . . .

Andy teeing off on the first tee

For the past 10 or 15 years, golf clubs have struggled to find new members and fill their courses: People, it seems, are just not as interested in the game as they once were.

As a result of this, new courses have had to go in one of two directions. At one end of the scale is Burstwick Country Golf Club, that lets its golf do the talking by investing a fortune on the course and putting its clubhouse and adjacent facilities second.

But taking up the second option is my course of choice this month – KP Club, at Kilnwick Percy, near Pocklington.

Built on family farmland by the Huxtable family in 1994, it was bought by a partnership of local businessmen, among them Paul Dixon and Simon Dixon – who netted millions from the sale of the Dixon Motor Group – with the brief of creating the premier golf centre in the East Riding.

Money was heavily invested in a new clubhouse – The Glasshouse – and timber lodges were built overlooking the course, both for sale and holiday-home rent. Tennis courts and other leisure facilities are also in the offing.

Improvements to the course have also been made but it’s no secret that to those at KP Club, the facilities were just as important as the golfing experience.

To find out if it has worked, I visited the club for a round with the director of golf Aaron Pheasant.

On a showery day, we ate lunch in The Glasshouse until a suitable break emerged in the clouds. It overlooks the Vale of York and the 18th green is one of the most striking developments at any local golf course. Built over three floors, it has a restaurant and bar area, conference space, a wedding licence and also incorporates the pro shop.

Aaron (30), from Beverley, explained the concept behind the clubhouse and the course in general.

He said: “I was asked to come here when the new owners took over and I was mega-excited.

“The directors wanted to produce the region’s best clubhouse and best course and the European-style design of the clubhouse is proving a hit.

“But the past two years have also seen major investment in the 6,218-yard course.

“Recent improvements include drainage programmes, mature tree planting, a host of new lakes, tees, a USPGA specification green and a complete remodelling of course bunkers.”

Also prominent is the pro shop that Aaron has fitted around the sale of designer labels.

“There is nowhere else I know of where you can buy the designer golfwear the pros wear on tour.

“So I’ve found contacts enabling us to sell Hugo Boss, Galvin Green and Ralph Lauren products and it’s going fantastically well. Even during these hard economic times they are still selling.”

Money was heavily invested in a new clubhouse – The Glasshouse. It is built over three floors and boasts a restaurant and bar area, conference space and has a wedding licence

As impressive as the surroundings were, however, I was still keen to sample the course and, as soon as the rain moved on, we shuffled out to our buggy and drove to the first tee. Surprisingly flat considering the course is within the Yorkshire Wolds, the first hole is a rather simple-looking slight dogleg left, 412-yards from the yellow tees. It has a couple of sand traps near the fairway before you reach a small, slightly undulating green.

I teed off first and shot my three-wood to the centre of the fairway while Aaron sliced into the rough on the right.

“The course is much less hilly than people imagine but there are a lot of subtle undulations on the greens and in the fairway,” said Aaron, as we looked for his ball in the rough. Already quite wispy, there are plans to let it grow further into a more links-style rough – yet another sign of change at KP Club.

“The par-fours, as you will see, are much longer than a lot of local courses built in the late 80s and early 90s (just look at Hainsworth Park, in Brandesburton, and the nearby Allerthorpe Park for proof of this) so there is something a little different here.”

Aaron eventually found his ball and shot left of the green. I followed up with a nice seven-iron near to the flag and finished for par while Aaron shot five. I hid my smirk as we drove the short distance to the 370-yard second hole.

Shorter but more difficult than the first hole, it makes you think your way to the green. Water protrudes from the left at an awkward distance that forces you to either shoot a long drive over it (you have to carry 220 yards to do that) or lay up short and leave a fairway wood to the green. It is fantastically-designed, forcing me to think long and hard about my route until I ultimately plumped for the safe route to take the water out of play . . . or so I thought.

My five-iron drive was as perfect as they come, 185 yards and towards the middle of the fairway. The problem came with my wood which, after slipping as I hit the shot, spun off to the right, missing the water but hitting the trees.

My next shot was similarly poor (I had the slip and a pulled groin on my mind) and I ended up walking away with a seven. Aaron, delighted he was back on top, gave me some good KP advice.

He said: “You have to plan your way round the course a little – it’s not just about hitting it as far as you can.

“There are a few holes, for example the 17th, where the slope is left to right and, when it’s hot and the ground is hard, you could easily leak off right into a water hazard.”

Timber lodges have been built overlooking the golf course, both for sale and holiday-home rent

The fourth hole, however, slightly contradicts what Aaron was saying for it’s a mammoth 605-yard par-five, uphill all the way to the green. “I don’t really like this hole,” admitted Aaron. “But it’s a nice view from the top.”

After my pulled groin debacle, I wasn’t looking forward to playing a succession of woods, but I gave it my best shot, blasting one three wood and two fairway woods to within 150 yards. I actually ended up with a six while Aaron parred it and he showed off the best view on the course.

“On a clear day you can see York Minster and all around the Vale from here,” he said. “It’s incredibly peaceful and the views are fantastic. It’s part of the reason the club is doing so well.”

And the club is doing well. It’s one of the few to enjoy an increase in members during the past few years and with course, clubhouse and living improvements still in the pipeline, there are exciting times ahead.

Aaron has been at the heart of this. KP directors have left the course to him and he has taken on the role with aplomb. It is “his” project and the former Hull Golf Club assistant pro said he has enjoyed every minute of it.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Hull Golf Club but I wanted to go somewhere and make my mark,” said Aaron.

“I wanted to do my own thing, run a pro shop how I wanted and be at a forward-thinking club. I have a great deal of time for everyone at Hull Golf Club but I couldn’t be happier here.

“There was a lot of work to be done when I first arrived and because of the floods and poor weather, we’ve focused on the facilities first but there was always a lot of potential.”

Continuing through the course and the mammoth fourth soon became a distant memory. A few moderately long par-fours end the first nine while a few par-threes break up the course nicely.

But it’s towards the end where the best holes are kept and where, if you are clever and pace yourself, you can score well.

The 15th to 18th holes are some of the easiest on the course with two 150-yard par-threes splitting up a 350-yard par-four and a long, straight finishing hole.

The par-three 15th is fairly straightforward and if you can ignore the audience of timber lodge owners relaxing in their hot tubs by the tee, you should score well. After this, the 16th is a wonderfully-sculpted dog-leg left and the 17th, another tidy par-three with a lovely water feature.

“We have worked hard on sculpting fairways to make the holes more attractive, while also taking out bunkers to improve drainage,” said Aaron. “But it’s a long-term project and it won’t happen overnight.”

Verdict: KP Club has a pleasant mixture of good golf holes, great facilities and a friendly atmosphere. Out on the course, the mammoth fourth is the standout hole but also beware the 15th – situated next to the timber lodges, you could end up miss-hitting in front of someone relaxing in their hot tub. The club is best known, however, for its clubhouse, which is not only a picture of beauty, but indicative of the direction the club is looking to go – onwards and upwards.