Golf in Scotland is sinking fast

[Chris Hughes]

Dornoch would not represent the general situation and problems providing and sustaining economical golf in the United Kingdom.


The new labour government have just put multiple daggers into the bodies of many small businesses by increasing wages, insurance contributions, business rates and employment laws. Golf Clubs will suffer and many more will close.

Bring on the robots! 😉

...and the "AI" pin-setting algorithms!!   

[Ken Moum]

I must agree with Mark, but I would also echo Adrian's point that Dornoch is in no sense representative of anything.

Apart from anything else, I am pretty certain it is the golf club that has the highest proportion of its revenue from non-members anywhere in the world.

I'm pretty sure ANGC tops them by several orders of magnitude,  but that's clearly a special case.

[Joe_Tucholski]

I'm very lucky I pulled the trigger on joining a local club in St. Andrews and got on the Links Trust Annual Ticket waitlist when I did. After getting in the local club I joined and signing up for the Links Trust Ticket it took me 7 years to get mine.  I'm hearing that waitlist is closer to 15 years long now.  I have no idea if that is true, just rumors I've heard.

Jeff I assume much longer than 15 years for folks getting on the list now IF things continue as they are.  I've been on the waitlist for 3 years and each year the number of people offered a ticket has decreased.  The last e-mail I received in June said they'd allocate 75 a year and I was 1106.  At current pace I'll be able to purchase after 18 years of waiting.  At those timelines I figure a number of people will be unavailable to purchase their ticket when their name comes up.


Local club membership also seems to be quite the wait.  New Club lists "considerable waiting lists are in place."


Another thing I noticed today is the visitor 3 and 7 day unlimited ticket options seem to be gone.  They were on the pricing list yesterday and maybe pending a 2025 price update, but I doubt it as there is now a 54 hole package with a food and beverage credit.

[Simon Barrington]

Ireland not Scotland


I have no knowledge of this club, but their comments (and lawsuit) regarding WHS Handicaps and not needing to be a Club Member to hold one are potentially interesting?


https://thegolfbusiness.co.uk/2025/02/irish-golf-club-announces-closure/

[Niall C]

Simon


That reads to me more like a business restructuring itself rather than a club closing. Certainly it doesn't appear to be a traditional club which is in charge of its own destiny. And 1,253 members is a huge amount even if many are effectively country members.


Niall

[Simon Barrington]

Simon

That reads to me more like a business restructuring itself rather than a club closing. Certainly it doesn't appear to be a traditional club which is in charge of its own destiny. And 1,253 members is a huge amount even if many are effectively country members.

Niall

Thanks
As I said, I have no knowledge beyond the article (& it's not my headline)
I found it interesting to see specific comment (& legal action!) regarding non-Member Handicapping which has come in from all the "Home" Unions under the WHS.
Does opening this mean more nomadic golfers and pressure on membership acquisition over time, especially younger golfers (who are needed by Clubs of all types to solve their demographic issues longer-term)?
I guess only time will tell, and noting this is a single example which may have other factors at play.

[Brian_Ewen]

Despite being saved by campaigners only a year ago, Dalmuir Golf Course has been placed under threat of closure once again.

The popular municipal in Clydebank, near Glasgow, was set to close as part of planned cuts by West Dunbartonshire Council until a petition appeared to stave off the danger.

But as the council faces continued financial pressure, Dalmuir has been put on the chopping block for a second time, prompting another campaign.

https://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-news/scottish-golf-course-faces-closure-again/

[Simon Barrington]

Hollandbush GC - Better news:


https://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-news/saved-scottish-golf-course-handed-huge-boost/

[Simon Barrington]

Not just Scotland...England too...Housing pressure...


https://www.telegraph.co.uk/golf/2025/03/02/golf-courses-under-siege-labour-affordable-housing-policy/

[Thomas Dai]

One day cities will have not just no golf courses but no green spaces. No more lungs of the city. And less lungs elsewhere too as urbanisation further expands.
Atb

[Matt Schoolfield]

One day cities will have not just no golf courses but no green spaces. No more lungs of the city. And less lungs elsewhere too as urbanisation further expands.
Atb

No reasonable person would try to convert the green space in a city they live in. In a healthy city, you'll start to see large buildings overlooking the parks and golf courses. The cities that consider building on the golf course have, in every case, made those larger buildings literally illegal to build. There are two entire generations in most of the UK and US suffering greatly because of our housing shortages born out of restrictive zoning and naivete. It's even worse in Canada.

[Marty Bonnar]

Despite being saved by campaigners only a year ago, Dalmuir Golf Course has been placed under threat of closure once again.

The popular municipal in Clydebank, near Glasgow, was set to close as part of planned cuts by West Dunbartonshire Council until a petition appeared to stave off the danger.

But as the council faces continued financial pressure, Dalmuir has been put on the chopping block for a second time, prompting another campaign.

https://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-news/scottish-golf-course-faces-closure-again/

Well, that was a very brief stay of execution…:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8rkp7pdlg5o

[Brian_Ewen]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rkp7pdlg5o

Golf course loses survival bid over funding shortfall

West Dunbartonshire Council said it could no longer afford to subsidise Dalmuir Golf Course after a decline in membership
A golf course near Glasgow that earned the support of major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Rose is to close over funding issues.

West Dunbartonshire Council said it could no longer afford to subsidise Dalmuir Golf Course after a steady decline in membership.

The local authority announced the decision as part of a package to close a £7.7m funding gap, which included an 11.5% increase in council tax.

More than 3,500 people had signed a petition to keep the course open, arguing that closure would cut off a way for working class people to get involved the sport.

The council said it would explore opportunities for the course to be passed into the hands of the local community via an asset transfer.

It said it spent about £145,000 subsidising the course in the last year, equating to about £805 per member.

A spokeswoman for the council said: "Despite significant efforts, regrettably membership and usage of Dalmuir Golf Course has continued to decline.

"Our budget gap for 2025/26 was £7.7m and we expect further financial challenges in coming years so we must prioritise protection of the essential services we provide to residents including education, housing and citizen support."


Two-time US open champion DeChambeau appeared in a video posted by long-time tour caddie Craig Connelly on X.

The major winner stressed the importance a club can have in the community where Connelly lives.

A number of other world-class golfers including Rose, Paul McGinley, Luke Donald and Robert MacIntyre also gave their backing for the course to stay open.

The course was saved from closure last year and it is home to a number of clubs in the area including Clydeview Cleddans, Clydebank Overtoun, Kilbowie and Radnor golf clubs.

'Wasteland' fear

Councillors weighed up various options, including whether to increase membership costs, reduce the course to 12 holes or close it completely, before coming to a decision.

Funding for the Loch Lomond Highland Games was also removed as part of the money saving measures.

Gerry Smith, who launched the petition for the course to remain open, said prior to the decision that a community asset transfer would be looked at for the course - which would let the local community take it over.

Craig McLaren, of Clydebank and Overtoun Golf Club, said locals feared the area could become a "wasteland" if it closed.

He added that the course had "gone downhill" in recent years and that West Dunbartonshire Council had not managed to do minor tasks such as updating the course's website with correct information.

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