UK Golf Courses Are Already Closing in 2025

We're still in the infancy of the new year, but golf courses in the UK have already announced closures in 2025, which continues a trend that we've seen during the past 18 months.

Hopes of saving Gatley Golf Club, near Manchester, have recently been dashed after controversial plans to build new homes on the land were approved.

This comes despite 1,600 people signing a petition to protect the land from development. But now, 278 new homes will be built, half of which have been deemed affordable, while the clubhouse of the 9-hole venue that dates back to 1912 would be converted into a ‘community hub’ with 26 additional acres of space also being available to the public.

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Gatley resident, Sharon Lindsay, speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, said: "It’s just heartbreaking to see that it will be built on, the community is feeling very hurt by what has happened.

"Although it’s a private club they feel it has many links to the community that go back to the early days of the club, with generations of family connections. We have a lot of affection and love for the club.

"This is a blueprint for how to sell a sports club and deprive the community of a recreational facility, people need to be aware of that."

Public golf remains under threat, and following a decline in player numbers, the 12-hole Uxbridge Golf Course in Middlesex is to close temporarily with staff being relocated to nearby 18-holer Haste Hill, which has also been struggling of late.

A specialist operator is being sought to manage Uxbridge, but there are long-term concerns that this temporary closure could become permanent.

Councillor Eddie Lavery said: "We’re very proud to be in the unique position of owning several golf courses as part of Hillingdon’s great leisure offer for residents. However, with increasing pressures on council finances, the staffing, maintaining and running of these courses is a significant taxpayer subsidy for a service used by relatively few. It is an unsustainable position.

"We are actively seeking a specialist golf operator that will have the expertise we do not have to provide a more tailored offer that works for everyone."

Moving to Northern Ireland, there is a significant course closure to come in a few years, but there is a potentially brighter future ahead.

Belfast's Balmoral Golf Club will move out of the city to the countryside several miles away to relocate to a new, state-of-the-art 18-hole golf course and clubhouse, with former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley to design the layout.

Following years of financial problems, club members approved the council's proposal, which will see Dublin-based Merrion Property Group take ownership of the current site after the new course has been created.

As reported by Irish Golfer, McGinley met with members to explain his vision, saying: “Balmoral is not unique; all golf clubs in urban areas are facing the same issues and not just in this city.

"There are issues in urban areas with golf balls leaving the property, and that throws up safety issues. The issues are becoming bigger, rules are stronger, holes have to be made shorter with tee boxes taken out of play.

"A lot of these courses are moving location and this is a great opportunity at the right time for Balmoral. It is moving just three-and-a-half miles away and I want to make it a win-win for everybody. The members are willing to take on this new opportunity and my job is to facilitate that.”

There is a rich history to Balmoral in the city, including its connection to 1947 Open champion Fred Daly, which naturally led to some resistance towards the proposals, but McGinley reasoned that it was an opportunity that couldn't be passed up.

"I’m from a golf club in Dublin, Grange, and I would feel the same way," McGinley said.

"Circumstances change and they have changed here, but there’s also a unique opportunity that won’t be around for a whole lot of time.

"To move just a short distance away and keep the club intact, close to the base of the membership, is a unique opportunity that may not be here in 10 years’ time."

There is a pathway forward for Balmoral, but that's not the case for other venues, both municipal and private, which are facing major problems that have to be overcome to ensure a positive future. 

While the picture is not wholly negative and many clubs are robust and in a healthy position, that doesn't mean we should ignore the issues that could one day affect a golf course that is beloved to you.

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