Bulwell Common ( Forest ) is a large area of open public parkland and golf course immediately adjacent to the estate and with nearest pedestrian access via the steps at the traffic lights junction of Hucknall Road and Bestwood Park Drive. It contains bowling greens, football pitches, tennis courts (currently seriously neglected as at Jan 2008), and an 18 hole golf course.

This is an extremely pleasant, partly wooded, area for local exercise - right on the doorstep and very popular with dog walkers -but a wary eye obviously needed to avoid flying missiles

Such a pity that the City Council agreed a new lease, in 2005, which has handed this public park over "lock, stock and barrel" to Bulwell Forest  Golf Club Ltd (a commercial enterprise). The Club is now responsible for maintenance of the whole area stretching from the phone mast near Moor Bridge, and up to the clubhouse and car park near Tesco.

In addition, they have also been given permission to install a practice putting green and warm up hole in the football field area to the left of the car park as far as the bowling greens! This permission does not extend to use of the space as a Driving Range, it is understood. 
So, even more space about to be lost to the general public.

It would appear, from a map supplied by the Council, that the only area not controlled by the Golf Club is the old railway track bed on the far side of the Common – not the most pleasant area of the site, and a bit of a quagmire during the rainy season. Plus part of the featureless open grassland opposite the Golden Ball public house.

The Club has been permitted to install an electronically controlled barrier to the car park though, in spite of any notices to the contrary, the general public still have full right of access to the car park. The Golf Club have been made aware  that they must allow the general public park users to use the car park.

It is claimed that the barrier has been installed in order to prevent antisocial activities such as joy riding, fly tipping and late night drug dealing, but this claim might well be viewed with a certain amount of scepticism by some. A barrier code needs to be requested from the clubhouse or shop in order to exit the car park – somewhat inconvenient for members of the public, especially if the shop is un-manned and one has to go into the club bar to find someone with the code! Dog walkers and their dogs presumably welcome inside?

The Golf club have undertaken a large investment programme on the site, which has resulted in major improvements to the clubhouse and course.  As a result membership and usage figures for the course continue to rise. This is clearly a recipe for conflict between the interests of the general public and the club, who will understandably not wish encourage continued public access to the area.

It is understood that the lease requires the club to maintain the ‘rights of way pathways’ established and agreed across the site.
(Though these are not clearly recognisable, apart from the single concrete path from the Supermarket junction)  

Conclusion: Little can be done to change the situation now!
But it is vital to see that future development of the golf course will not be even more detrimental to the interests of the general public.
Everything possible needs to be done to ensure that the area can be enjoyed by the general public, and not just the paying golfers

Footnote: I am grateful to Alan Clarke (Local Councillor - 2008) for his interest in matters relating to this area, and for obtaining some of the information reported above.
Also wish to make it clear that any views expressed are purely personal, though they do seem to be shared by many walkers on the Common