A PAIR of professional golfers have teed off a new era at Basildon Golf Course.

New managers Joe James and James Anderson hope to put the course’s recent controversy behind it and create a top-class facility for the community.

The course’s lease-holder, Basildon Golf Centre Limited, has brought in the professionals from Warehouse Sports UK, to run the course despite Basildon Council wanting the course back under its control.

The council has served legal notices asking for the lease to be surrendered after the company closed the course and sacked the staff in April because of a row over an unpaid water bill, which the council has now paid.

Guerrilla golfers, made up of course regulars, had kept the course open in the meantime.

Mr James, 47, from Poplar, East London, said: “We’re not interested in what’s gone on in the past – we want people to enjoy playing golf on what I think is one of the best courses in Essex.

“We’ve employed three greenkeepers who have already improved the standard of the course, which would have been in a much worse state if volunteers hadn’t been maintaining it.”

The course in Clayhill Lane hasn’t had professional golfers for three years. The new managers plan to offer a range of lessons and new tournaments.

They particularly want to promote youth golf, because the course has had a longstanding problem with youngsters vandalising bunkers and breaking flags.

Mr James and Mr Anderson, 43, from Upton Park, plan to visit schools to encourage children to take up the sport and organise junior lessons and tournaments.

Mr James said: “It will be good to get more juniors involved in the sport and give them something to do so they don’t vandalise the course.”

The managers both have experience in managing golf courses and have played the sport across the world.

Course regulars welcomed the arrival of new management.

Brian Smith, 74, of Southbourne Grove, Hockley, said: “The condition of the course has improved a lot since they took over.”

John Wybrow, 75, of Cliffton Avenue, Benfleet, said: “It’s good to have professional golfers on site because they keep a course in order and command respect.”