MAIDENHEAD golf club (MGC) members vote overwhelmingly to purchase a nearby golf course – but it is not a done deal.

360 MGC members voted ‘yes’ to pursue the acquisition of the Winter Hill Golf Club in Cookham from owners John Lewis Partnership in order to move out of its current location in Shoppenhangers Road.

Thirty-two members voted against the move at the club’s extraordinary general meeting on Wednesday, April 12.

In February, it was revealed MGM was in ‘advanced talks’ to purchase the Winter Hill Golf Club, which is now closed.

READ MORE: Maidenhead Golf Club has 'last chance for survival'

The freehold of the 132-acre Maidenhead Golf Course was bought by the Royal Borough Council for about £16m in order to enable the development of 1,800 homes.

Paul Louden, chairman of MGC, previously said this is the club’s “last chance for survival” as they have until the end of 2025 to find a new home.

He said at the meeting, which was recorded and listened to by the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “This is a way forward because there isn’t another alternative we can see that’s likely to occur. There are miracles that can happen but we don’t see them likely to occur.

“And so, we are saying to you [MGC members] that this is the best bet to keep Maidenhead Golf Club in some form or the other at a new venue where we end up as the owners of that venue – not like we are here where we are dependent on the people who own it and we rent it from them.

READ MORE: John Lewis 'still in talks' with Maidenhead Golf Club over Winter Hill

“We will be the owners and a true members club; a new start and we are recommending that to you.”

Despite members voting overwhelmingly to purchase the Winter Hill site, it is not a done deal. This is because John Lewis Partnership took the site to the open market.

A golf charity is also gearing up for a bidding war after it said it was ‘ready to step in’ to save the Winter Hill course from closure and opposed MGC’s plans.

The next step for MGC is to win the bid. Mr Louden said he doesn’t know how many parties have put a bid forward but remained optimistic about their chances.