The history of Lakeside Country Club
Lakeside Country Club was opened in 1971 by Bob Potter. A former musician and show promoter, Bob had worked with some of the biggest names in the business, not least The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
Bob had big ambitions for the club, but he couldn't have predicted the success that was to follow. Before long, Lakeside had won a reputation as the UK's finest nightclub. It became a favourite haunt of celebrities and politicians. It attracted some of the country's best comedians, including Tommy Cooper, Bob Monkhouse and Morecambe and Wise. And it welcomed internationally acclaimed musicians – Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and Tom Jones, to name but three.
Then, in 1986, Lakeside hosted the World Darts Championship for the first time, cementing a tradition that continued for more than 30 years. To this day, Lakeside Country Club is fondly remembered as the 'Home of World Darts'.
Now, as we celebrate 50+ years of smiles, celebrations and unforgettable moments, Lakeside Country Club is gearing up for its most exciting phase yet. For the first time, this iconic venue is open to the public as Surrey's most flexible large-scale events space. Because, after all, your next legendary event deserves a truly legendary venue.
The venue where champions are made
We've hosted some of the biggest stars of music, comedy and cabaret at Lakeside Country Club. But we'll always be best known as the 'Home of World Darts'.
That's because we are – quite literally. From 1986 to 2019, Lakeside Country Club was the venue for the annual BDO World Darts Championship.
The Championship is the biggest event in the world of darts, attracting millions of viewers from around the world.
More champions were crowned at Lakeside than at any other venue in the event's history. Among our winners were legends like Eric Bristow (in 1986), Jocky Wilson (in 1989) and Phil Taylor (in 1990).
We're very proud of our deep-rooted connections with the sport and we continue to hold large-scale darts events to this day. See you at the next tournament?
A legend with humble beginnings
Today, Lakeside Country Club is legendary. But the venue didn't win its reputation overnight. It took hard work – and more than a little business nous – to get where we are today.
It all started in 1971, when Bob Potter purchased Wharfenden House and the surrounding grounds, including a large private lake. He soon established a club on the site, which would go on to host some of the stars Bob had met in his promotional career.
Thanks to Bob's talents for business and promotion, the club quickly became famous on the cabaret circuit. But in 1978, tragedy struck. The original Lakeside Country Club fell victim to a devastating fire.
But Bob was undeterred. He used the opportunity to establish an even bigger and better club. The new Lakeside had a 599-seat auditorium, which was further extended as the venue's popularity skyrocketed.
Before long, Bob had founded three hotels, a restaurant and numerous local business ventures. From its humble beginnings as a small, local venue, Lakeside had become an internationally famous leisure complex.
Bob Potter passed away in 2023 at the age of 94 – but not before earning himself an OBE and a reputation as a generous philanthropist. Today, Lakeside Country Club remains a family-owned business, and we're honoured to build on Bob's legacy as the club goes from strength to strength.