Reducing council budget set to close 100-year-old golf course
A 100 year old golf course is at risk of closing down in Glasgow.
Dalmuir Municipal Golf Course was built in 1928, with 18 holes and 5000 yards of land.
West Dunbartonshire Council has decided to go forward with this because of a supposed “rapidly reducing budget”.
Regularly golfers at this vicinity were sent letters during the weekend informing them of the closure, while also explaining that the Scottish Government have not provided enough funding for the services provided.
The letter adds: ““The council is operating in an extremely challenging financial environment. Rapidly reducing budgets mean the options available to us [WDC] to continue to provide services in the same way are limited, and we must take action to save money while still delivering the vital services our residents rely on.”
A regular golfer at Dalmuir Municipal Golf Course believes that the prices charged by these vicinities are another reason behind the closures, and stops golfers from coming back.
“It’s expensive, golf courses need to look at their prices.
“I am not a member of a club I can’t afford the cost so I play different courses. I don’t think we should be paying over the top for a round. Make it cheaper and people will come back.”
However, the council is still weighing out its options, and has also proposed a downsize rather than a full closure of the course in order to work with its budget.
A spokesperson of West Dunbartonshire Council said: “A meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council will take place next month to discuss the budget for the upcoming financial year. No final decisions will be taken on any of the options presented until this meeting.”
The meeting will take place on the 6th of March where councillors will discuss the different money saving option that will help determine the golf course’s future.
This is not the first time the golf course has risked closing down as the council also considered this 2018, a decision that could have saved around £250,000.
The council opted on another plan however, which was to invest in a membership drive that increased the visitor count by more than 3000.
This came after the Dalmuir saw a significant decrease in members in 2020 that dropped to 146 by the end of the year.
However, the council still coughs up most of the funding, providing the course with £130,000 in 2019/2020, and only £57,000 Dalmuir’s own income.
People are also worried about other gold courses following in Dalmuir’s footsteps, like Hollandbush in South Lanarkshire which has had locals protesting due to a proposed £100 million budget reduction.
