Fears grow for Glasgow’s six municipal golf courses

Glasgow City Council has said it is seeking views on the city’s six golf courses ‘due to low usage and a substantial annual deficit’, raising fears that they might close down.

Options being considered include reducing fees, restricting opening hours or scrapping the courses altogether, reports the Evening Times.

‘Axing the city’s six public golf courses had been contemplated when budgets plans were being drawn up,’ it states.

Councillor David McDonald said a golf working group had been set up to consider a range of issues, including health benefits and maintenance costs.

“There’s no point in having a consultation and then seeking to pre-empt it. What we are doing is seeking to establish as wide a range of views on the future of golf in Glasgow as possible.

“One of the challenges we face as a city is the cost of subsidising golf, there is a very wide ranging spectrum of subsidies in place.

“We subsidise golf in Knightswood to the cost of £17.30 while at Ruchill we subsidise golf to the tune of £458.95.

“It’s clear that level of subsidy per course is unsustainable, based on the overall cost and the income the council receives from golf.

“We also have to note the declining figures of golf, not just in Scotland but across Europe,” he said.

He added that figures show Scotland has lost the greatest number of golfers among European countries.

In a question and answer session, Bailie Norman MacLeod, who is leading the working group, asked McDonald to re-emphasise for “the avoidance of any doubt” that the “present consultation is a real consultation with nothing having been decided in advance”.

Frank McAveety asked: “In the run up to the very difficult budget setting we had only a number of months ago, we were assured by members of the minority administration that any prospect of these facilities closing was not the case. Is that still the case or do we expect to see proposals to close the golf courses in the city?”

Mr McDonald replied: “This is a genuine opportunity for everyone to shape the future of golf in Glasgow.”

There are three 18-hole courses – Littlehill, Lethamhill and Linn Park – and three nine-hole courses – Knightswood, Ruchill and Alexandra Park – operated by Glasgow Life, the cultural and sporting arm of Glasgow City Council.