Rory McIlroy has secured his second victory in a week with the newly crowned Masters champion winning a heated planning battle at his £9million sprawling estate in Surrey.
The Northern Irish golf sensation, 35, has been given ‘very special’ permission to install a heat pump for his huge outdoor swimming pool in the grounds of his home on the Wentworth estate.
The plans had been deemed as ‘inappropriate’ by Runnymede borough council but the local authority has given them the go ahead as McIlroy had demonstrated the environmental benefits of the pump by using renewable energy.
Planning officials approved the plans with conditions and stated: ‘The development is considered to be inappropriate development within the Green Belt, but very special circumstances are considered to exist.’
It comes just days after McIlroy’s sensational victory at Augusta in a tense play-off one the 18th green against Justin Rose to secure his place in history by completing a career Grand Slam.
McIlroy’s representatives included an application within the plans to argue that ‘very special circumstances’ existed due to the ‘wider environmental benefits’ of having a heat pump providing ‘renewable energy’ for the heating of the proposed pool.
Planners agreed and in the decision notice stated: ‘It is considered that significant weight can be attributed to the environmental benefits and this would outweigh the harm to the Green Belt.
‘It is considered that very special circumstances exist.’
Rory McIlroy, 35, puts on his Green Jacket after the Northern Irishman’s sensational Masters win to complete a Grand Slam and secure his place in golfing history
The Northern Irish golf sensation, 35, has been given ‘very special’ permission to install a heat pump for his huge outdoor swimming pool in the grounds of his home on the Wentworth estate
The mansion is described in planning documents as a ‘large, detached dwelling sited centrally within a substantive plot’.
The golfer was previously granted planning permission for a dining and utility room extension, a new roof and internal alterations.
He was also given the green light last year for the outdoor pool, play centre and 5ft-high water feature wall.
Council planners said the site ‘as a whole is currently under construction after the approval of recent permissions’.
But the new application sought planning permission to install an air source heat pump to serve the outdoor pool along with building a timber enclosure.
McIiroy’s planning agent wrote: ‘The heat pump is located towards the southern boundary of the site.
‘The heat pump is a single unit enclosed by a 1.8 metre high timber enclosure. The heat pump requires permission in view of the fact that the site already has heat pumps located towards the northern boundary.’
They added: ‘The provision of renewable energy, limits the requirement for the use of non renewable energy sources.
‘The wider environmental benefits associated with increased production of energy from renewable sources using the (heat pump) constitutes a “very special circumstance” which justifies the (heat pump) in the Green Belt.’
McIlroy lifts the Masters trophy following his win in Augusta — April 13, 2025
The planning battle win comes days after McIlroy’s sensational victory at Augusta in a tense play-off on the 18th green against Justin Rose
McIlroy celebrates wearing the famous Green Jacket at Augusta – as he is seen holding the trophy alongside his wife Erica Stoll and their daughter Poppy after winning the Masters
Rory McIlroy celebrates with his wife Erica Stoll after winning the Masters to complete a career Grand Slam
McIlroy also owns a stunning mansion in Florida located inside the prestigious private members Bear’s Club where he unwinds with his wife Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy.
The home resides on 2.4 acres of highly desired land and is believed to have 10 bathrooms in addition to the nine bedrooms across the property.
It was built in the same year McIlroy purchased it from golf legend Ernie Els.
The South Florida residence boasts a luxury infinity pool, as well as a games room, tennis court, home theatre, recording studio and state-of-the-art gym. The 13,000-square-foot home also has a six-car garage.
