A golf club on the outskirts of Oxford with more than 600 members has been taken over — just three weeks after the company leased to run the club’s membership accounts officially went into liquidation.

Hinksey Heights Golf Club, west of the city, is being operated by Stoneheads Associates, which is owned by David Heads, the club’s current director of golf.

Stoneheads is still negotiating the length of the lease with the club’s owners — Hinksey Heights Partnership — but it is expected to be for at least 35 years.

Club members have welcomed the move.

Chairman and members’ spokesman David Milne said: “I think it’s very positive. The club is going forward with somebody who really knows about golf. Members are looking forward to seeing the new company invest in the golf course and its facilities and are glad to see the uncertainty over the future removed.”

Earlier this month, Hinksey Heights GC Ltd — the company which ran the club’s membership accounts between 2001 and 2007 — was officially ordered to wind-up.

There had been fears the club itself had gone into liquidation, but Mr Heads, 59, said that was untrue.

He said Hinksey Heights Partnership, of which he is a partner, had licensed Hinksey Heights GC Ltd to operate the club’s membership. This was done to avoid paying VAT through the not-for-profit status of non-commercial sports clubs, which do not have to pay the tax.

But HM Revenue & Customs clamped down on the practice.

Mr Heads said the unpaid VAT bill could be as much as £200,000 — but stressed there was no danger the club itself would have to pay.

HM Revenue & Customs spokesman Georgina Myles said not-for-profit companies set up to collect memberships and green fees before transferring most of the money across to the club, usually through rent, had “almost certainly” accrued VAT debts.

She declined to comment on Hinksey Heights GC Ltd’s position specifically.

Mr Heads said Hinksey Heights Partnership had done nothing wrong licensing Hinksey Heights GC Ltd and the latter company’s financial situation would have “no impact on the future of the club”.

He added: “I have a passion for the club and I think the takeover will be good for the future.

“We have the best views in Oxford and we have built a really challenging course — we want to take the club forward. I’m really excited.”

Mr Heads said he had yet to decide whether to change the course’s name and would not consider doing so until the spring next year.