UK Golf Courses That Have Recently Closed Down

Despite a miserable winter of record rainfall, there is much to feel encouraged about as we enter the new golf season in the UK, as membership numbers are robust and enthusiasm remains significant as we approach the peak months of the year.

However, it's not a glowing picture for everyone, as several clubs and venues have either shut permanently or have been threatened with closure due to financial pressures, the cutting of local authority budgets, and other developmental interests.

We have recently covered the confirmed closure of Perivale Park Golf Course in West London, while on a positive note, the future of these municipal layouts in Scotland was secured following significant concerns and public outcry.

But that hasn't been the case for everyone in recent years. We take a closer look at some courses that have shut their doors for the last time.

In October, it was announced that the course at Dudsbury Golf Club, Hotel & Spa would close in April, with investment to be made in other facilities at the venue, but more recently it was revealed that the entire site would be shut down.

Renishaw Park Golf Club, near Sheffield, opened back in 1911, but that long history came to an end in December, when flooding and falling membership numbers made it simply unsustainable for the owners to maintain, with the course being placed on the market for sale, with no sign yet of what a potential buyer would do with the land.

Last year, West Lancashire Borough Council decided that Beacon Park Golf Centre would close at the end of March 2023, a decision that angered many local golfers.

Going back to 2022, The Staffordshire Golf Club closed in May of that year after a deal was agreed to sell off the land and buildings.

That same year, Pewit Golf Course was closed by Erewash Borough Council following a lengthy period of uncertainty, with the final decision coming not long before the layout was to celebrate its centenary. Plans are in place for it to become a nature reserve.

Having incurred significant losses for years, Enfield Council decided to shut Whitewebbs Park Golf Course in 2021, with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club later being granted a lease of the land that they wish to develop into its new Women’s and Girls’ Football Academy and the Sports Turf Academy, alongside the creation of parkland for public use.

The Bedford Golf Club, Brandon Wood Golf Course & Club, Brandhall Golf Club, and Silsden Golf Club were among the venues that closed forever during 2020 when the impact of lockdowns pushed some to the brink.

Three of Glasgow's public courses - Linn Park, Alexandra Park and Ruchill - are no more, while Lethamhill Golf Course was transformed into The R&A's impressive GolfIt! facility.

Before the pandemic struck, there had been an alarming trend of widespread closures throughout the UK. South Leeds Golf Club, Stanmore & Edgware Golf Centre, Carswell Golf Club, Mount Ellen Golf Club, Eastwood Golf Club, Brunston Castle Golf Club, and Moore Place Golf Club were among those whose history ended in 2019.

Letham Grange in Angus was once considered to be the 'Augusta of Scotland' due to its beauty, but this venue had been troubled for some years before the course itself was finally closed in 2019. Its on-site hotel (which uniquely had a curling rink underneath) now lies in a state of decay.

Finally, we have to reflect on the tale of Allestree Park in Derby, which was closed by the local authority in December 2020 and is now the subject of a rewilding project.

Golfshake Ambassador Andy Picken has campaigned tirelessly to save this course, having conducted detailed and fascinating research into its story. Allestree (which the council had managed since 1948) began in 1930 as The Derbyshire Golf Club and had been designed by the legendary architect Harry Colt. Despite this historic legacy, the course remains closed.

Losing any venue is saddening, but to see somewhere with such a backstory being discarded in this way is deeply regrettable and dispiriting.

There is much to be excited about this season and courses are sure to be packed once the weather settles, but we mustn't forget about these other places that held a fond place in the hearts of the golfers who played there.