Five Yorkshire golf clubs are looking for a new operator

Sheffield City Council is looking for a new operator of five golf courses from summer 2024.

The five golf courses, Beauchief, Tapton Park, Tinsley Park, Birley Wood and Sinfin, have been run by Sheffield City Trust (SCT), formerly known as Sheffield International Venues, for years. However, the organisation, which runs other sporting and entertainment venues across the city, has said it will hand the venues back to the council, with a provisional date of August 31, 2024 agreed.

The council has said it intends to appoint a new operator to run the venues from 2024.

Councillors will also be asked to agree a revised funding agreement with Sheffield City Trust to enable it to meet its obligations during the period. This will cover an estimated £7 million budget gap.

Beauchief Golf Course. Image from Facebook

According to a report prepared for a meeting of Sheffield City Council’s Co-operative Executive board on March 24: “The recommended option allows SCT to continue the provision of leisure and entertainment services up to the hand back of facilities in 2024 whilst giving the council the most flexible options to deliver these services from all the SCT facilities in line with the approved Leisure Investment and Facility Review strategy.

“It avoids a potential insolvency situation that could have significant impact on the delivery of these services in the short to medium term.”

According to local reports, this follows years of financial struggles at SCT.

Beauchief Golf Course is a 5,258 yard, par 67 course that will celebrate its centenary in 2025, Tapton Park Golf Course is a parkland venue featuring an 18-hole course, a nine-hole academy course and a nine-hole chip and putt course, Tinsley Park Golf Course measures 5,746 yards and is more than 100-years-old, Birley Wood Golf Course is a 27-hole club with two courses and Sinfin Golf Course is a 6,288 yard, par 70 mature parkland course.