Scottish club to invest £233k in improvements following successful year

A Renfrewshire golf club is set to embark on nearly a quarter of a million pounds-worth of improvements to its clubhouse, after recently investing a similar amount in a development studio.

According to the Greenock Telegraph, the committee at Gourock Golf Club is proposing to invest heavily in enhancing the clubhouse on the back of a successful year at the venue that saw membership levels and turnover rise.

Plans include the installation of a lift to improve access, upgrades to the ladies’ locker room and other changing facilities downstairs, and a refurbishment upstairs. In total this will cost around £233,000.

Allan Warwick, general manager, said: “It’s a really good story for not just the club but the wider community of Gourock and Inverclyde. “We will also be using local people for the project, and therefore investing locally, and there could be potentially new employment opportunities here too.”

Just over two years ago the club opened a £189,000 grant-funded indoor development studio.

Improvements are being made in response to growth of memberships across all sections, with almost 860 registered members – up by 85 year-on-year.

That, combined with an increase in the number of club, private and community functions, helped Gourock post a small profit for the 12 months to September 30, 2019.

Former captain Ian Macnaughton said: “We’re about golf but we’re also a community building and that’s the ethic of the club.”

Current captain Neil Beaton added: “It’s a great opportunity to open this club to the community and push the anniversary in 2021, which in itself is a good story to tell as well as the continued success and development here.”

The clubhouse plans would be funded by a mixture of loans, grants, commercial initiatives and any surpluses.

Warwick said: “We won’t divert funds from business needs such as maintaining and improving the course. So far, we’ve had very positive feedback from members.”