Four golf clubs have announced they have closed or are going to close down in the last few days – meaning that at least eight have gone under in the last month.
In late September / early October it was revealed that Letham Grange Golf Club in Scotland will be disbanded, Carswell Golf Club in Oxfordshire had closed, Hilltop Golf Course in Birmingham has been told it will close for at least two years and Moore Place Golf Club in Surrey closed unexpectedly as a developer wants to build housing on the site.
Of the latest four to close there is hope that two will be saved and one will return in 2021.
In north London, Stanmore and Edgware Golf Centre has permanently closed down.
A statement on its website reads: ‘It is with much sadness and regret that we announce that Stanmore and Edgware Golf Centre will close with immediate effect and will cease to trade.
‘There are new owners of the freehold and despite positive negotiations, belief in assurances given that the centre would be allowed continue to operate and terms agreed, we have now been informed that this will not now happen and with the lease being terminated, the centre has had to close.’
Bushey Hall Golf Club in Hertfordshire has closed, officially for two years, as its clubhouse will be converted into 32 flats. However, according to the Watford Observer, ‘it remains to be seen whether any [members] will return’.
Manager Agnes Taylor said: “When I joined, we had around 500 members. Now we have around 160.
“It has been very challenging sometimes. What makes this place so special is the friendships and bonding.
“I will miss the members. I hope to return.”
Member Helen Tout added: “It is very sad to all go our separate ways. Who knows, we could be back here one day. That would be lovely. This is a really special place.”
Heaton Park Golf Course has been forced to close – one year after it last closed down following the collapse of its previous owner, Mack Trading.
Interim operator Green Circle stepped in to run the course on a temporary 12-month basis last November.
However, according to Bury Times, the arrangement has come to an end, and the course has closed again.
The move follows an unsuccessful tendering process with no potential permanent operators found who would be able to run the site without needing a subsidy from Manchester City Council.
Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Manchester City Council executive member for skills, culture and leisure, said: “We have not so far been able to identify an operator who can take on the course without requiring a subsidy from the council and will now review our options for the future of the site.”
And Temple Newsam Golf Club in Leeds has been told by its local council that its nine-hole and 18-hole courses will be replaced with a family cycling centre, cycle trails and a cafe.
The club has made it clear it will fight these proposals.
The people who run the golf club, which rents the land from the council for around £12,000 a year, are furious about the plans and claim there is enough room for the golf club and the new cycling centre and trails.
Dean Hardy, the club’s treasurer, claims the council could shut the course down by December.
“We’re absolutely shocked,” he said, “Everyone is gutted. It’s not just a golf club, it’s also a social centre for a lot of people.
“A lot of our older members here are actually past their golfing days, but it’s still a place where they can meet up with their friends on a regular basis.
“We are going to fight this and we’ve got around three months.
“Once it goes to a public consultation we will do everything we can to show the council there’s no need to close the courses.
“We can’t see any reason why the two (the golf course and cycling centre) can’t run hand in hand. We don’t see why they need all that space for cycle lanes.
“We would be willing to discuss all options, I’m sure we can collaborate here and share facilities. There’s got to be some way round this, so everyone can be happy.”
Hardy added that the club gave up nine of its, then, 36 holes in 2017 and would be willing to give up another nine in order to save the venue.
In addition to the above, Polmont Golf Club in Scotland announced on social media that it is closing down because of financial difficulties – however, reports suggest the club has been saved at the last minute.
The original statement from the 118-year-old club said: ‘It is with deep regret that we have to inform of this news. Unfortunately the financial position that the club finds itself in brings the committee to the conclusion that the club cannot continue to operate.
‘The club for years has meant so much to so many people and it will be truly sad to see it gone.’
Five days later, the club revealed it had been saved.
Update: In addition to the above, reports suggest that Ruchill Golf Course in Glasgow, which ‘temporarily’ closed in September due to staff shortages, will not be reopening (October 22)
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