Five out of Six public courses in Glasgow to close?

[Robster59]

It looks like there's a lot of financial pressure to close most of the public golf courses in Glasgow.
Given that two members courses closed in Glasgow last year (Eastwood and Mount Ellen) and a few courses in the area are struggling, you have to worry for the game in Scotland.
I cut my teeth on municipal courses and may not have got in to the game without them. It seems to be an easy target for councils, but to shut down five out of six seems extreme.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Our game is in peril.
The value of real estate in the present time presents an existential threat to golf.
It's reverting to its old pre WWII status as an elitist game.
The return of great economic disparity pretty much assures that, at least in the US.

 

[Brizo1411]

shame, I played on the municipal in Hamilton which is a great 9 holer

sadly think more will go

 

[HomerJSimpson]

What is the councils rationale? Are they all struggling financially or is it simply a question of an easy target to sell off for large profits to build houses on

 

[HankMarvin]

It looks like there's a lot of financial pressure to close most of the public golf courses in Glasgow.
Given that two members courses closed in Glasgow last year (Eastwood and Mount Ellen) and a few courses in the area are struggling, you have to worry for the game in Scotland.
I cut my teeth on municipal courses and may not have got in to the game without them. It seems to be an easy target for councils, but to shut down five out of six seems extreme.

Any idea why they are closing, is it down to lack of funding from the Scottish Government or will it be Westminsters falt. I can understand one or two closing but five...

 

[Parsaregood]

Theres too many courses in Glasgow/south west Scotland. Something has to give. Councils struggling for money, it's an easy way to free up cash from a valuable asset that's not proving to be valuable in it's current form

 

[Robster59]

They reckon it will save over £500,000. I can imagine one or two being closed but 5 out of 6?
Rouken Glen around the corner from me was bought by David Lloyd leisure otherwise I reckon that could have gone as well.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/five-golf-courses-glasgow-face-21372608

 

[Brizo1411]

They reckon it will save over £500,000. I can imagine one or two being closed but 5 out of 6?
Rouken Glen around the corner from me was bought by David Lloyd leisure otherwise I reckon that could have gone as well.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/five-golf-courses-glasgow-face-21372608

how is Rouken glen nowadays ?

ive still got a voucher from last years golf show to use there

 

[KenL]

Clearly the SNPs fault.

 

[Jacko_G]

Not getting used, why should the council pay for a constant financial drain?

Let's be honest if they were making money and paying for themselves the council couldn't justify closure.

It's sad but as parsaregood says there are too many clubs in Scotland, I firmly believe that a lot more clubs will close before golf starts to level out in Scotland.

 

[Siolag]

Have to agree with Jacko_G, Parsaregood et al. You can be a member of a decent club in Scotland without it costing the earth, and your cost per round can be very little. If these courses get next to no footfall in poor weather and therefore no revenue, why should they be propped up. Also, if one that’s left open gets some more resources, it’ll be a better course.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

how is Rouken glen nowadays ?

ive still got a voucher from last years golf show to use there

...or Deaconsbank as it was known back in the day - where I learned to play as a young teen hacker/enthusiast; where I found my first ‘big’ ball, and where the auld fellas told me about HNSP - so we know who to blame for that thread ?. But pleased to hear it is ‘safe’.

 

[KenL]

Have to agree with Jacko_G, Parsaregood et al. You can be a member of a decent club in Scotland without it costing the earth, and your cost per round can be very little. If these courses get next to no footfall in poor weather and therefore no revenue, why should they be propped up. Also, if one that’s left open gets some more resources, it’ll be a better course.

They should be "propped up" as councils have a duty to provide healthy and affordable facilities for people living and paying their council tax.
I would understand if they chose to close a couple but this seems wrong.

 

[Jacko_G]

They should be "propped up" as councils have a duty to provide healthy and affordable facilities for people living and paying their council tax.
I would understand if they chose to close a couple but this seems wrong.

They are, it's called leisure centres. Should the council provide horses for people wishing to participate in a bit of pony tracking?

 

[Mephistopheles]

Would be such a shame to see all these courses close.
I learned to play at “The Royal Linn” and probably wouldn’t have played at all if it wasn’t there. Maybe make it a good 9 hole course and sell some of the land.
Golf takes too long, so maybe the next generation would play 9 and pick up the game that way.
A declining sport would only lose more numbers if this trend of courses closing continues.

 

[casuk]

It's a shame they are closing so many 1 or 2 i can understand but 5 out of 6, on a side note i saw 4 council workers cutting branches across the road and one was cutting tge branch one was holding it and the other 2 were watching maybe that's were the cuts should start

 

[Mephistopheles]

It's a shame they are closing so many 1 or 2 i can understand but 5 out of 6, on a side note i saw 4 council workers cutting branches across the road and one was cutting tge branch one was holding it and the other 2 were watching maybe that's were the cuts should start

The council are good at that type of thing. Just look at the roads. One digger, and 3 or 4 looking down the hole with their arms folded inspecting the new hole. Priceless work.

 

[stefanovic]

Played Alexandra Park once, but it wasn't great apart from they let me on for £1.
Has it gone?
We can now blame everything on Brexit.

 

[casuk]

I'll need to get a couple of rounds on letham hill before it goes, I might do a mini tour of them all before they close, when is this supposed to happen anyway

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Would be such a shame to see all these courses close.
I learned to play at “The Royal Linn” and probably wouldn’t have played at all if it wasn’t there. Maybe make it a good 9 hole course and sell some of the land.
Golf takes too long, so maybe the next generation would play 9 and pick up the game that way.
A declining sport would only lose more numbers if this trend of courses closing continues.

I never played Linn Park - maybe once as I don’t remember much about it at all - though that’s because Deaconsbank was easier for me to get to - I could walk to Deaconsbank through Rouken Glen and it was only 20mins walk for me to get to the park gates from home in Broom. Had to walk past Whitecraigs which was always a bit frustrating as my name was on the 7 yr waiting list...as a beginner I found Deaconsbank a challenging little track but good to learn the game on.