Another Scottish golf club closes down

A picturesque links golf club in Inverness is to close down at the end of February – with the club posting online that it is ‘furious’ with the decision.

Loch Ness Golf Club’s members have received a letter from Amity Hospitality, a hospitality organisation on behalf of the owner of the venue, Fairways Inverness, that ‘continued losses’ are the main reasoning behind the move.

According to the Press and Journal, the 18-hole course will close although the nine-hole course will remain open, as well as the driving range.

“They [the owners] have not engaged with the people who play the course at all,” club captain Jamie Gordon said. “The first I knew about it was through the letter.”

The club, established in 1996, posted a statement on Facebook saying it is ‘feeling furious’ and that it is ‘gutted’ for the membership, who were not consulted with.

The letter on behalf of Fairways Inverness highlights that improvements will be carried out to enhance the current nine-hole course to make it ‘a jewel’, as well as revealing projects to improve the driving range and restaurant.

© Facebook

Jamie Gordon added: “We thought they were making improvements to the golf course by cutting down some trees here and there, which tidied the place up and made it more open, but now that seems as if they undertook that work on the premise of improving a golf course when really it will make way for houses and roads.

“I envisage very few people staying now.

“I fear this is now the end for Loch Ness Golf Club.”

This closure comes on the back of Eastwood, Mount Ellen and Letham Grange all going out of business in Scotland last year due to dwindling memberships.

Other clubs to fall by the wayside in recent years include Lothianburn, Torphin Hill and Brunston Castle.

It has also emerged that Glasgow City Council is planning to close five of its six municipal courses as part of a plan to plug a funding black hole.