Golf in Scotland is sinking fast

[Thomas Dai]

I recall some spectacular and challenging holes on the main course. Some very grand by UK standards houses nearby too. I also recall it being a tough walk. The other course I can't recall at all.
They used to do quite a few corporate memberships .... to cater for ex-pat oil industry execs and supplier reps who couldn't get into golf clubs around the Granite City as the waiting lists were long and the execs etc in question weren't around for long enough to get to the top of a waiting list.

atb

[Brian_Ewen]

When they built the new course, they commandeered the old 9th and 10th through the trees and built a new 16 & 17 for The Old Course... I liked the original routing best.

New 16 & 17th holes also had a lot to do with changing the routing of the 18th.


The original 18th was all about how much you could cut off the corner of the dogleg, which of course meant loads of balls landing on the property to the right of the fairway.


Not sure if I have many photos of the original layout, which was before I had a digital camera.

[Brian_Ewen]

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/golf/scottish-golf-clubs-record-61-per-cent-rise-in-playing-membership-3157330


Scottish golf clubs record 6.1 per cent rise in playing membership
By Martin Dempster
Sunday, 7th March 2021


It has also been revealed by Scottish Golf that seven clubs in the Home of Golf recorded an increase of over 100 per cent from 2019-20.

The figures have been released by the governing body in a yearly review presented at the annual general meeting, which was held virtually today for the second year in a row due to the pandemic.

“One of the positives to have emerged from the pandemic is that, for the first time since 2015, we have seen an increase in club membership,” said the report.

“Our 568 affiliated clubs saw a 6.1 per cent increase in playing members (adults and juniors) of 10,920, with total playing membership of 190,777.

“There were seven clubs reporting over 100 per cent increase in playing membership from 2019-20.

“This increase in club membership is great news for our affiliated clubs and we urge all our clubs to engage fully to ensure those members can be retained as we head into a prolonged period of economic uncertainty.”

The total playing membership in Scotland rose from 179,857 to 190,777, with the figure for adult membership jumping from 164,356 to 174,255.

Adult male membership increased from 143,205 to 152,641 while the adult female total went up to 21,614 from 21,151.

On the junior front, the total membership climbed from 15,501 to 16,522, with the boys’ total now standing at 13,903 compared to 12,966 the previous year and the girls’ figure going from 2,535 to 2,619.

As had been previously reported by The Scotsman, the governing body’s accounts for the year ended 30 September 2020 showed a loss of £18,350 compared to a surplus of £226,382 in 2019.

The downturn has been attributed to a “significant reduction” in membership income as a result of a 25 per cent affiliation fee rebate, which represented a grant of £580,145, offered to all clubs as they were hit by the initial coronavirus lockdown.

“We are in unprecedented, remarkable times. Since March 2020 we have all been reminded how important the wonderful game of golf is in our lives,” said Eleanor Cannon in her final report as chair of Scottish Golf, having now handed over the reins to Martin Gilbert.

“We have learnt how much we, as individuals, appreciate the golfing communities that we are part of, and how much the camaraderie offers us personally through good times and bad.

“The past 12 months have been challenging and for many harrowing.

“I am extremely proud of the speed at which the Scottish Golf team acted to reassess our financial position and reprioritise activity.

“The outcome of this review was being able to provide support to our affiliated clubs both financially, by rebating 25 per of our affiliation fees, and practically, through regular Covid-19 updates.

“Throughout my time as Chair, we have been working on a variety of long-term growth initiatives which support the organisation’s vision of Making Golf Scotland’s Game For Everyone and 2020 was a big year of implementation as we saw a number of these plans come to life.”

Development costs in 2020 rose to £1.3 million from just over £480,000 the previous year, with a big chunk of that being spent on a new Venue Management System (VMS) and app.

The annual report said that the VMS has been presented to “almost 400 clubs”, with “237 clubs configured on the system at various stages of deployment”.

The Scottish Golf App has been hailed by the governing body as “another success story” on the strength of having 148,000 registered users out of a total of 190,000 golf club members.

“During 2020, we focussed on building stronger partnerships within the golf industry and across the sporting sector to ensure we cater to the needs of our stakeholders at area, county and club level,” said Karin Sharp, Scottish Golf’s chief operating officer.

“I have been greatly encouraged by the engagement through zoom calls with our key members and industry colleagues, which provided regular and constructive dialogue on a wide range of topics.

“I am very proud with the way in which Scottish Golf has supported our members throughout the year both financially and practically, with a significantly increased level of communications to ensure all our affiliated clubs were best placed to get through the pandemic.”

The annual report has also revealed the full details of how Scottish clubs utilised money made available by the R&A through a Club Relief Fund and Covid-19 Fixed Cost Grant.

The St Andrews-based organisation provided investment worth £685,000 to Scottish golf clubs, with a total of 354 clubs applied for and received the £500 Covid-19 fixed cost grant totalling £173,340.

In addition, 163 clubs were recipients of the Club Relief Fund receiving a total of £512,560 allocated. In total, 370 of Scottish Golf’s affiliated clubs received funding from one or both of the R&A Club Relief Fund.

In addition to former Aberdeen Standard Investments chairman Gilbert taking over as chair, the meeting also saw Pauline Lockhart, Caroline Mansley and Fraser Thornton elected to the board as non-executive directors.

“I leave Scottish Golf under the excellent stewardship of Karin Sharp and Iain Forsyth (chief commercial officer),” said Cannon at the end of a six-year terms.

“It gives me great pleasure to know that Scottish Golf will be in safe hands as Martin Gilbert, one of Scotland’s best-known business figures, is set to become Chair at this year’s Annual General Meeting.

“Martin has been a prominent supporter of golf in Scotland for over 20 years, firstly through Aberdeen Asset Management and latterly Aberdeen Standard Investments.

“This is a tremendous coup for golf in Scotland and the entire game should be delighted that Martin, whose passion and support for the sport are very widely known, has agreed to take on this role.”

[David_Tepper]

Brian E. -

Good news and thanks for reporting. Hopefully the increase in members at some clubs will generate enough incremental revenue to help cushion the loss of revenue from the decrease in visitor play.

DT

[Thomas Dai]

Whenever an organisation, whether it be golf or other, releases details such as these it’s usually worth carefully analysing the numbers. Selective numbering and selective statistics are not unknown. And isn’t the lady whose name is mentioned in seeming good light in the report the same lady who has been pilloried in previous such reporting and threads herein?
Atb

[Marty Bonnar]

It’s hilarious that Scottish Golf needed a global pandemic to increase membership and participation at Scottish golf courses. They sure as hell were failing spectacularly before it.
F.

[Brian_Ewen]

Tax Payer bailing out Gleneagles with £5 million of furlough money ... WOW!




https://www.thegolfbusiness.co.uk/2021/04/gleneagles-posts-5m-loss-due-to-covid/


Gleneagles posts £5m loss due to Covid
By Alistair Dunsmuir
April 14, 2021 07:21 UPDATED

The host of the 2014 Ryder Cup, Gleneagles, has become the latest major golf resort to post a loss for the last financial year due to coronavirus.

It is the resort’s first loss in a decade.

In the 15 months ending just after the lockdown started in March 2020, it suffered a pre-tax loss of £5.2 million.

Its financial report noted that the emergence of Covid-19 was hugely significant because it led to fewer bookings in the first quarter of 2020 – particularly from the group bookings the hotel is reliant on.

The resort received £5m from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, along with a £3.9m loan from its parent company.

As a result, the directors have tested various models of the business to check how the pandemic has impacted cash flow.

One model showed that a strong summer performance would be enough to enable the hotel to operate for a year without additional funding being required.

The report stated that further lending will not be required within 12 months and its latest bank loan is not due for repayment until 2024, although the parent entity agreed to waive covenant reporting until the “economic conditions are likely to be less volatile”.

Managing director Conor O’Leary explained that the company had been well supported by its bank and was hopeful of better trading in 2021.

“During the summer of 2020 the hotel was able to achieve reasonable occupancy levels and operate profitably within the revised Covid-19 guidelines,” he wrote. “This gives the directors confidence over the company’s outlook for the remainder of 2021.

“A multi-million pound investment programme is on-going, with new meeting and event spaces, the reopened Strathearn restaurant, upgrades to golf club facilities and redevelopment of the retail arcade.”

[Mark Pearce]

Tax Payer bailing out Gleneagles with £5 million of furlough money ... WOW!

Of which £3.9m was as part of the Covid job retention scheme, so went to employees who would otherwise have been redundant.  I'm not sure there's any "Wow" to this news, which surely replicates the sort of amount paid to any large hospitality business with similar numbers of employees as Gleneagles.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Tax Payer bailing out Gleneagles with £5 million of furlough money ... WOW!

Of which £3.9m was as part of the Covid job retention scheme, so went to employees who would otherwise have been redundant.  I'm not sure there's any "Wow" to this news, which surely replicates the sort of amount paid to any large hospitality business with similar numbers of employees as Gleneagles.

I agree, it will be pretty standard for anything based on making its money via overseas visitors. 2021 will be difficult as well as many people find it difficult to make overseas travel plans the dry side of October. The furlough scheme is great for the employee but generally companies have not been given much. Overall I would say the government have done pretty good in keeping things alive, the only thing that really seems to have gone bust is the retail shops, which were on a knife edge before with the impact of online shopping.

[Thomas Dai]

See this link for the ‘Sports Sustainable Fund Awards’ given to golf clubs in Northern Ireland by presumably the authorities who run NI - https://static.clubhouse.golfireland.ie/clubs/1000/uploads/files/club_support/ni%20sustainability%20fund%20grants.pdf
Total fund award £4.2m of which £1.6m awarded to Royal County Down, £0.8m to Royal Portrush with the balance split between 23 other clubs.
Atb

[Brian_Ewen]

Of which £3.9m was as part of the Covid job retention scheme, so went to employees who would otherwise have been redundant.  I'm not sure there's any "Wow" to this news, which surely replicates the sort of amount paid to any large hospitality business with similar numbers of employees as Gleneagles.

I still read it as £5 million for furloughing.


I guess its all down to personal circumstances, and I am not a believer in furloughing, and certainly not to bail out places like Gleneagles.


Will soon need to change the thread title to Scotland is sinking fast.

[James Reader]

Of which £3.9m was as part of the Covid job retention scheme, so went to employees who would otherwise have been redundant.  I'm not sure there's any "Wow" to this news, which surely replicates the sort of amount paid to any large hospitality business with similar numbers of employees as Gleneagles.

I still read it as £5 million for furloughing.


I guess its all down to personal circumstances, and I am not a believer in furloughing, and certainly not to bail out places like Gleneagles.


Will soon need to change the thread title to Scotland is sinking fast.

I agree with Mark.  This isn’t “bailing out Gleneagles”, it’s continuing to pay the wages of its employees, most of whom would otherwise have been made redundant (as would almost everyone else in the hospitality industry).  Has the business benefitted from it in some way?  I suppose they’ve saved the statutory redundancy and rehiring costs that they’d have incurred, and are in a much better place to start up again as soon as they’re allowed, but to my mind the overwhelming beneficiaries here are the employees.

[Brian_Ewen]

And of course, lets not forget the £4.6m paid out in dividends during this period.


WOW

[Duncan Cheslett]

And of course, lets not forget the £4.6m paid out in dividends during this period.


WOW

I think you’ll find that those dividends were paid in the year ending 31st March 2020 - prior to the pandemic.


https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC097000/officers

[Jeff Schley]

A stat that would be interesting is what % of members are overseas members for Scottish clubs?  I'm sure this is heavily skewed at the top clubs, but I believe you have local, country, overseas membership levels. Anyone know any stats on the breakdowns?

[Sean_A]

Of which £3.9m was as part of the Covid job retention scheme, so went to employees who would otherwise have been redundant.  I'm not sure there's any "Wow" to this news, which surely replicates the sort of amount paid to any large hospitality business with similar numbers of employees as Gleneagles.

I still read it as £5 million for furloughing.


I guess its all down to personal circumstances, and I am not a believer in furloughing, and certainly not to bail out places like Gleneagles.


Will soon need to change the thread title to Scotland is sinking fast.

The title of the thread would make sense if you deleted the last three words.

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

Wonder if Trump Aberdeen received any £ under this scheme?
In fact sight of a spreadsheet detailing which golf facilities got what would be interesting.
Atb

[Adrian_Stiff]

Brian - I can't agree with you that furloughing was not right.


It has been essential in keeping business alive.


Simply....WITHOUT it 80% would be bust if forced to pay wages when the business may have been closed for up to a year.


If allowed to release employees without redundancy payment then unemployment would be massive.


Perhaps you need to reconsider about being a non believer in furlough.


I agree Golf in Scotland is no longer sinking fast. Covid has been kind to golf.

[Mark Pearce]

I agree with all of that Adrian.  The furlough scheme meant that many businesses were able to keep hold of staff who would otherwise have been made redundant.  I suspect in the end that would have been just as expensive for the Exchequer.  Moreover, I know that a lot of businesses who would probably have made redundancies this time last year not only didn't because of the scheme but have since, because things weren't as bad for those businesses, returned the money, despite having used it properly.  To be honest, I'm surprised to find anyone who thinks the furlough scheme was a bad idea.

[Brian_Ewen]

You talk as though the Furlough scheme (and the Pandemic) is over.

[Jeff Schley]

  To be honest, I'm surprised to find anyone who thinks the furlough scheme was a bad idea.

Mark fully agree. Let us not forget what the alternative would have been. Some projections in the US had unemployment as high as 30% without the paycheck protection program. It was successful in keeping employees from separating from their jobs and then going on unemployment. Yes it was costly, but such are interventions to address once in a 100 year pandemics. Pay now and figure out the finances later. 

[Niall C]

I agree with the furlough scheme in a general sense and given the timescales it needed to be a fairly broad-brush approach in how it operated but I suspect where Brian is coming from is that a lot of these sizeable companies are in a position to absorb a lot of the extra carrying costs of staff and should look at paying back the money when things have stabilised, which in fairness is what a lot of big companies have done. After all from the report it appears that Gleneagles kept investing in their property over the period.


Niall

[Brian_Ewen]

Who would have thought, it would take a pandemic to save golf in Scotland?




https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-61491324


Why did lockdown boost golf in Scotland?
By Ben Philip
BBC Scotland


Jodie Stalker took up golf for something to do outdoors during the pandemic because she could no longer play netball indoors.

The 27-year-old said her new hobby was due to the frustration at her usual routine being disrupted.

Her story is not uncommon, as recent data has suggested there are now more people playing golf in Scotland than before the pandemic.

There are now more than 200,000 golfers registered across the country.

Golf is one of Scotland's most famous exports.

In July, The Open Championship will be held at the sport's birthplace at St Andrews.

The oldest major marks its 150th tournament this year, returning to the fabled Old Course for the first time in seven years.

Recent data from Scottish Golf and the R&A - the organisation that governs golf worldwide - found that 5.3 million adult golfers played nine or 18 holes in Great Britain and Ireland in 2020.

The latest figures for 2021 show the figure dropped to 4.8 million, still considerably higher than the 3 million recorded in 2019, prior to the pandemic.

It is thought much of the surge in players has been down to the sport's ability to be played safely outdoors while other sports including football and rugby were subject to Covid restrictions.


Teaching assistant Ms Stalker, from Ellon in Aberdeenshire, took up the game early last year.

"I couldn't go to netball - golf was something I could go and do instead," she told BBC Scotland.

"It was outdoors and you didn't have the fear of catching Covid or taking Covid back to my family.

"It was a bit daunting as there's a lot of golf etiquette - you're just this numpty on the golf course that's hitting your ball into the long grass.

"But everyone has been very supportive and now I'd go to any golf club and play."


Karin Sharp, chief operating officer of Scottish Golf, described the situation as "hugely encouraging".

She said: "There's no secret that over the last 10 years membership numbers across the game in Scotland have been in decline.

"However, 2020 saw an uplift of just under 7% and last year saw a further uplift of more than 7%.

"We now have a total playing membership of 208,000 golfers registered across Scotland and that's the highest its been since 2012. It's great to see and hopefully it can be sustained moving forward.

"It's now on us as a sport to ensure that the people who have come back into golf taken up golf in the past couple of years, that we work with clubs to keep those players engaged in the game."


It has been a real shot in the arm for Scotland's 550 golf courses.

Inverurie Golf Club in Aberdeenshire has seen an increase of more than 100 members during the pandemic to 760.

'Crying out for juniors'

Ashley Wilson, the club manager, said: "Demand for golf increased significantly. We actually had to curtail our members and enforce a restriction of three rounds per week per member because the demand was that significant."

Much of the success at Inverurie has been down to its junior programme.

Before the pandemic, there were only two junior members at the club and now more than 100 young players attend weekly training sessions, run by dozens of qualified coaches and volunteers.

"It's the future of the club," said Ben Zanre, the junior convenor.

"I think mums and dads after the strictest restrictions were lifted wanted to get their kids doing activities outside

"I think there's a perception that golf isn't accessible to all. However, I think it's as accessible as it ever has been and golf clubs across Scotland are crying out for juniors."

Now that life has largely returned to normal, competition has once again ramped up to secure people's time.

However, it is hoped major competitions such as The Open being held in Scotland will encourage even more people to take up an interest in the sport.

[Thomas Dai]

Worth watching - perspectives and why folks play .....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0Ct0RVluno

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nE0bQeZII8

Likely more episodes to come.
atb

[Brian_Ewen]

https://www.scotsman.com/sport/golf/eastwood-golf-club-on-brink-of-closure-1-4925360
Eastwood Golf Club on brink of closure
MARTIN DEMPSTER
Saturday 11 May 2019
Eastwood Golf Club on the outskirts of Glasgow is close to becoming the latest Scottish club to be forced to shut its doors due to dwindling membership.

https://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-news/golf-course-set-to-re-open-five-years-after-it-closed/


A popular Scottish golf club has taken another huge step towards re-opening – almost five years after it closed its doors.

Eastwood Golf Club, on Glasgow’s south side, shut for what appeared to be the final time in 2019.

However, an ambitious bid to revive it has finally been given the go-ahead, with developers targeting a spring 2025 re-opening.