Cavendish Golf Club's bold bid to turn talk into toilets

Inspired by our recent article No on-course toilets a load of s**t, they’re raising funds to build a toilet on their Peak District course.

“We’ve been looking at ways to address the need to install a toilet on our course! Your article spurred us on to persevere. I started looking at outside funding opportunities to go alongside the fundraising we were doing within the club,” Christine Campbell, Cavendish’s Membership and Welfare Officer told me.

Christine came across Action Funder – a platform that provides communities with funding to act on local challenges – and discovered the club is eligible to bid for up to £4,000. So, they’ve submitted a brilliant video explaining what a difference an on-course toilet would make to all members of the club.

In the video, golf club representatives highlight the benefits an on-course toilet would bring to all members:

“As you age, you lose the bounce in your legs, and as a result, getting up from a crouched position behind a tree becomes a problem. Bearing this in mind, I usually restrict my fluid intake. Having an on-course toilet will provide a much-needed facility for both men and women of all ages,” explains one member.

Representing the younger female members, Amy adds, “When we need to go, it’s really embarrassing and uncomfortable. Period time for girls is a nightmare; they really don’t want to risk going out on the golf course at all. This has been evidenced by a recent Women in Golf survey.”

After a slightly awkward scene involving a member needing to use the bushes, the video concludes with Lady Captain Wendy Goldstraw’s final appeal:

“Our position is that there’s no running water, no electricity, and no accessible site for a chemical toilet. We’ve researched various solutions ranging from £12,000 to £3,000 for construction and installation.

“We have selected the WooWoo Loo compostable toilet, which will cost £8,000 to install. We’re in the best position to deliver this project. We’ve done our research, identified a solution, and raised £3,000 toward it.

“Now, all we need is the funding to make it happen before our Centenary year in 2025. A grant to support this project would be greatly appreciated and would benefit many members and visitors.”

I was absolutely chuffed when I read this email from Christine, and I really hope they receive the funding and support they deserve. On-course toilets really can significantly impact participation and enjoyment of the game, and our research is proof that they’re a worthy investment for any golf club.

I really hope this story inspires other golf clubs too.  

If you missed our recent article about on-course toilets and their impact on participation, you can read it here: Levelling the Fairways: No on-course toilets a load of s**t