Any clubs closed ?

backwoodsman

Tour Winner
Joined
Mar 3, 2008
Messages
6,972
Location
sarf Lunnon
Visit site
Shame about Brora's troubles. It's one of my favourite courses in the UK (the view on the 9th tee has to one of the best anywhere). Only played there 3 times - would love to play there more but the round trip is just a wee bit far ...
 

patricks148

Global Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Jun 9, 2009
Messages
24,629
Location
Highlands
Visit site
spotted two different guys using the practice ground today, both the twats drove there too... easy to spot the pair of knobs have personal number plates:unsure:

hope the get grassed
 

Fish

Well-known member
Banned
Joined
Jun 25, 2012
Messages
18,384
Visit site
i'm with you on that, a twist of the truth for the sake of a story, first one to go will be Golspie, they have been close to going under the last few years and member numbers really dropped, then Tain for the same reason. less and less people up there playing the raise in costs meant that guys who might have once been members at 2 or even 3 clubs are now down to just the one, fair few of those were Dornoch members.

If one or two possibly did go, wouldn’t then that give an injection of new members to the other one struggling?
 

backwoodsman

Tour Winner
Joined
Mar 3, 2008
Messages
6,972
Location
sarf Lunnon
Visit site
Scottish golf has said each club is to recive a £25,000 grant which will be lifeline for many clubs, did read that Brora would struggle to re- open.
Wonder where the money is coming from?

Coming from the Scottish Government - the grant is not specific to golf clubs. It's applicable across the hospitality/leisure sector. Scottish Golf were just a conduit for information - not the body making the grants

Ps: If I read the info right , although those businesses with rateable values below £17k can't apply for the £25k grant, they may be eligible for a lesser £10,000 grant
 
Last edited:

patricks148

Global Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Jun 9, 2009
Messages
24,629
Location
Highlands
Visit site
If one or two possibly did go, wouldn’t then that give an injection of new members to the other one struggling?
difficult times ahead for Muir of ord, Staffpeiffer, Alness Invergordon, portmahomack, Tain, Bonnar bridge, Dornoch, Golspe, Brora and Helmsdale. Dornoch will of course be fine but all the others are in trouble, with prob Brora its not in anywhere near as at risk as all the others. was speaking to a mate from up there last night thats a member of Brora and Tain and said the article was way off the mark
 

Fish

Well-known member
Banned
Joined
Jun 25, 2012
Messages
18,384
Visit site
difficult times ahead for Muir of ord, Staffpeiffer, Alness Invergordon, portmahomack, Tain, Bonnar bridge, Dornoch, Golspe, Brora and Helmsdale. Dornoch will of course be fine but all the others are in trouble, with prob Brora its not in anywhere near as at risk as all the others. was speaking to a mate from up there last night thats a member of Brora and Tain and said the article was way off the mark

I know many up there have multiple memberships as they’re much lower than we have down here, so I suppose if some have memberships at a number of those clubs, they’ll be no visible shift of new memberships and revenue to a chosen club that could come through it!
 

Rlburnside

Challenge Tour Pro
Joined
Jan 16, 2014
Messages
3,438
Visit site
Coming from the Scottish Government - the grant is not specific to golf clubs. It's applicable across the hospitality/leisure sector. Scottish Golf were just a conduit for information - not the body making the grants

Ps: If I read the info right , although those businesses with rateable values below £17k can't apply for the £25k grant, they may be eligible for a lesser £10,000 grant

We can’t even get the £10k grant because we don’t get rural rates relief we get sports club relief but that doesn’t count.
 

patricks148

Global Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Jun 9, 2009
Messages
24,629
Location
Highlands
Visit site
I know many up there have multiple memberships as they’re much lower than we have down here, so I suppose if some have memberships at a number of those clubs, they’ll be no visible shift of new memberships and revenue to a chosen club that could come through it!

when i started playing up here, and first a member at Tain most of the seniors where also Dornoch Brora and Golspie members or at least members at 2 clubs, trouble is thats not as common as it was. Also the steady rise in the cost of membership has caused a drop off. i know comp to down there membership is very cheap, but when i joined Tain it was £230, which isn't much but if you are a reg working guy who plays half a dozen times a year, £230 is affordable, £460 just isn't worth it for those casual players so many of those have been lost to the game or have chased lower cost elsewhere, Invergordon for instance offered people who like in the village membership for £150. Tain lost £50 members... which to me is staggering as the two courses would be like compairing an open venue to a council course. not a choice i would have made in a million years.. tough times ahead, it could get a bit of race to the bottom ahead, which is only going to mean one thing:(
 
Top