Reopening of Scottish golf course delayed by at least a year

The saga of a Scottish golf course that closed during the first lockdown and has not yet reopened is set to go on for at least another year.

Councillors controversially voted to close the 18-hole Camperdown Golf Course in Dundee in 2019 – with the closure set to happen in May 2020 – due to dwindling usage.

As the UK went into lockdown in March 2020, Dundee City Council announced it wouldn’t reopen in April 2020.

However, Scottish golf clubs saw a boom in participation from May 2020, and there have been several reports of how rundown the venue has become since then, including even a discarded, burnt-out car was found in a bunker.

Last year the council then stated that the decision to close the course would be reversed, amid reports that it would reopen in the spring of 2022.

However, The Courier states this has now been delayed until at least 2023.

The firm leading the project says both damage to the greens and complications caused by Covid-19 have knocked the rebirth of the site back.

Amity Hospitality says it is still “fully committed” to transforming the site into a refreshed nine-hole course with a state-of-the-art driving range.

The plan would also include an 18-hole putting range and a cafe / bar.

Amity director Chris Charalambous said: “Amity Hospitality is working with the local planners, architects and other bodies on bringing Camperdown golf course back to use.

“Some initial issues, such as the car park and access paths, seem to have been solved and we are now looking forward to starting some work on the course.

“Covid-19 has delayed our plans by slowing down the pace of works, similar to other companies with ongoing projects.

“We are, however, fully committed to working with the local authority, golfers and investors to bring our plans to fruition.”

The deteriorating state of the course means it will take at least six months to bring the greens back up to standard, he added.