By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
The Scottish golf club where Old Tom Morris designed his last course is hoping to stave off the same outcome as Hirsel Golf Club following its sudden closure earlier this week.
Kirkcaldy Golf Club, which is often referred to locally as Balwearie, has been rumoured to be facing financial difficulties, leading club officials to come up with survival plans.
The Scotsman understands that one option had been the possibility of the club becoming part of Fife Golf Trust, which already operates seven courses, including Dunnikier Park in Kirkcaldy, but that is now off the table.
This week’s news about the Hirsel in Coldstream being closed with immediate effect is a stark reality of the position numerous clubs in Scotland seem to be facing due to a combination of operating costs rising and the spike in membership during the Covid pandemic now starting to wear off.
However, Kirkcaldy, where Old Tom Morris laid out the course in 1904 after either designing or remodelling more than 70 in the British Isles, is not prepared to throw in the towel without putting up a fight, which is being led by club captain Brian Laing.
He told The Scotsman: “Like many clubs across the country, Kirkcaldy Golf Club is having to deal with significant rises in our operational costs, both across our course and within our clubhouse.
“We are proactively working with our membership to agree and implement changes in our operating model which will help us adapt and navigate through this period of significant rises.
“We are incredibly proud of both our course and membership and are working with the sole focus of moving the club forward and preserving a part of the Old Tom Morris heritage within Fife.”
In a move that came as a huge shock within the Scottish golf community, the decision to close the Hirsel overnight was taken at an annual general meeting at the Borders club on Wednesday night.
It was founded in 1948 and, contrary to what had been believed, it seems as though the membership had remained static in recent years, which, if true, raises questions about why it has been closed.
“We were saddened to see the news of the Hirsel closing this week and can definitely relate to the pressures being placed on clubs across the country,” added Laing, though, of other financial factors committees are having to deal with.
Earlier this year, Dalmuir in Clydebank and Hollandbush in Lanarkshire were both saved from threatened closure by local councils, as was Caird Park in Dundee. However, fears are growing that the Hirsel will be the first of many Scottish clubs to be forced out of business in the coming few years.
“It is incredibly disappointing news to hear that Hirsel Golf Club has taken the difficult decision to close,” said Robbie Clyde, who, since taking over as Scottish Golf’s CEO last year, has re-implemented a team of regional development managers around the country.
“We were only made aware of the current situation in the last few days, and we have been in contact to offer Scottish Golf's support to the club and members as they go through this challenging process.”
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It wasn’t exactly cheap in the first place. But if you want to tee it up at Turnberry next summer you could end up shelling out four figures.
The Ayrshire resort, owned by former US president Donald Trump, have hiked the green fees they’re charging non-residents to play the world-renowned Ailsa course. To call them eye-watering is an understatement.
From June 1, the price for those who don’t stay in the Turnberry hotel is a wallet-shredding £1,000 per person before 1pm.
It drops to £545 for those prepared to wait for a later afternoon spot, while hotel residents pay £425 all day.
It’s believed the move is aimed at protecting tee times for members and residents as well as trying to drive more hotel occupancy.
Depending on when golfers want to play, that shock headline rack rate price can also drop further. A weekend time in May next year weighs in at £320.
It currently costs between £425 and £595 to book the Ailsa in high season.
Turnberry’s four figure green fee was highlighted on X by David Jones, also known as UK Golf Guy, who has written extensively about the increasing costs of playing the best courses in Great Britain and Ireland.
He said in 2013, before the Trump Organization bought the property and the Ailsa was redesigned by Martin Ebert, it was £176.
But while that price surely makes the Ailsa the most expensive course to play in GB&I for those who just rock up and put their money down, it also catapults Turnberry up the world ladder as well.
A spot at TPC Sawgrass starts at $700 and is currently $840 for a September time. A precious berth at Pebble Beach is $675, and it’s $595 in peak season to walk round recent US Open venue Pinehurst No. 2.
Shadow Creek, which hosted the infamous match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in 2018, is reported to charge $1,250 to those looking for a game.
Last month, Turnberry – which hasn’t hosted The Open since 2009 – appealed for the championship to return, with club chiefs arguing it would be a fitting location for the 2027 event.
Nic Oldham, Trump Turnberry general manager, said: “There is no doubt the Ailsa remains one of the world’s most iconic layouts, and it remains a rite of passage for many golfers who want to tread in the footsteps of those who have graced our four Open Championships – which have been some of the most thrilling in the tournament’s history.
“We continue to invest in the course and Martin Ebert’s redesign raised the bar even higher. There has never been a better time to play the Ailsa and it would be great if The R&A would consider returning the Open to Turnberry, perhaps to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the famous ‘Duel in the Sun’ in 2027.”
The R&A’s position since 2021 has been that The Open will not go back “until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course.”
With the ex-president currently running to return to the White House, that might be unlikely anytime soon.
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The course at Broomieknowe Golf Club is in brilliant condition- greens are super quick and consistent from 1st to 18th.
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