Here’s three stories from March 2025 that have got the golf industry talking

From smaller driving ranges to ownership changes at Carnoustie, the industry is gearing up for what it hopes will be a fruitful 2025 playing season.

Carnoustie is now in private hands

Like many local authorities in the UK, Angus Council has been facing financial difficulties of late, which some believe has meant it has not been able to sufficiently invest in Carnoustie Golf Links since it last hosted the Open Championship in 2018.

The golf venue therefore been handed over to a consortium of financiers for the next eight years, and this group wants the lease to run for the next 98 years.

The negotiations over the deal represent a tough choice for many people – would you rather a golfing crown jewel that’s been in public ownership since the 19th century stays that way or is it more important that capital can be injected into it so that its premium reputation is not diminished?

Smaller driving ranges are coming

Many golf clubs have a simulator in the clubhouse and / or an outdoor driving range that requires a bit of space, but two are installing a range that’s almost small enough to be indoors.

Rickmansworth Golf Club and Basildon Sporting Village, both in south-east England, are both building a ‘GolfPod’, an automated driving range with ball tracking technology.

These pods feature 10 bays and nets to catch balls, and are described as ’30 metre driving ranges’.

Clubs could be changing the Playing Handicap allowance next year

In fact, some in Ireland can do that now, as Golf Ireland is giving golf clubs the option to increase the Playing Handicap allowance from 95 up to 100 percent or decrease it down to 85 percent in club competitions.

This comes as some lower handicappers have said they play less in these competitions since the launch of the World Handicap System (WHS).

The England, Scotland and Wales golfing unions are watching how this will work in Ireland this year and will make a decision about whether they will follow suit ahead of next season. 

“Clubs want more choice in how they apply the WHS,” said Mark Wehrly from Golf Ireland.