Wimbledon: Soon three times as big?

The All England Club wants to use the neighbouring golf course in the future – and offers an impressive 50 million pounds.

For “real” tennis fans, Wimbledon is no longer a pleasure, especially in week one: too many spectators, too much tennis – too little space on the 42-acre (10.5 hectares) small course. Courthopping – sometimes here, sometimes there a few games to watch – is hardly possible, most of the side seats have only small, partly however no grandstands at all. And these, as well as the paths between the squares, are packed.

Now the world’s best-known tournament wants to upgrade, according to the British Daily Mail. The neighbouring golf course, 73 acres (18.25 hectares), is to be added. Problem: The course belongs to the All England Lawn and Tennis Club anyway, but is rented to the golf club until 2041. A few years ago, £25 million had already been offered for an exit from the lease, but without success. Now they want to double it.

For this, however, the golf friends would have to agree. Around 450 members could receive a six-figure severance payment because they have been in the club for more than ten years, but another 300 could go away empty-handed – and in future will no longer have a golf course to play on. However, 75 percent of the members would have to agree to the premature end of the rental period.

An expansion of the tennis facility should also make it possible to host the qualifying tournament in Wimbledon itself, which is currently taking place in neighbouring Roehampton. Also more spectators should be able to come to the tournament.