More Scottish Golf Clubs Could Close Down

Last month, two Scottish golf courses - The Hirsel in the Borders and Torrance Park in Motherwell - announced that they would close their doors, but now a leading industry figure has warned that even more clubs could suffer the same fate.

The Golf Business has quoted Chris Spencer, representing the Scottish Golf & Club Managers Association, who recently spoke to The Times and said: "The boom in membership during lockdown has now subsided as economic pressures take their toll. With the rising energy prices, minimum wages going up and other costs such as insurance rising, it would not surprise me if other clubs are debating whether they can continue.

"Golf in Scotland has always been for everybody and therefore [membership] has been at quite a competitive rate. But the Hirsel closure isn’t the first. Unfortunately, there could be others unless either more people join or members potentially have to pay a lot more to sustain their golf club."

Several weeks ago, Martin Dempster reported in The Scotsman that Kirkcaldy Golf Club - which was designed by the legendary Old Tom Morris - had drawn up measures to ensure that it could survive into the foreseeable future.

Club captain Brian Laing said: "Like many clubs across the country, Kirkcaldy Golf Club is having to deal with significant rises in our operational costs, both across our course and within our clubhouse.

"We are proactively working with our membership to agree and implement changes in our operating model which will help us adapt and navigate through this period of significant rises.

"We are incredibly proud of both our course and membership and are working with the sole focus of moving the club forward and preserving a part of the Old Tom Morris heritage within Fife."

Back in July, Custodian Golf released a whitepaper that concluded that rising maintenance, insurance, and operational costs immediately threatened the closure of 433 clubs in Great Britain.

This week is the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship when the iconic links of St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns are showcased around the world. Such venues have no concerns like this, but underneath the spotlight of tourist golf in Scotland, there are everyday clubs that are battling to ensure their survival.

Winter is coming - and it could prove to be a long one for several struggling golf clubs in the spiritual home of the game.

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