Glasgow South Side golfers fear Linn Park closure

Earlier in the year, Glasgow City Council announced that only Knightswood golf course would retain management under Glasgow Life, who operates the city's libraries, museums and sports facilities.

The council directed Glasgow Life to look at alternative ways the five other courses could be funded.

If no viable alternative is found it is expected that all five courses will be closed and re-provisioned which would reportedly save the council an estimated £530,000.

The Glasgow Times spoke with a few of Linn Park Golf Course’s club members.

John Montgomery, who has spent decades playing at the course, said: "You meet a lot of people down here. It keeps you sane. This is our life. I love coming here at the weekend and now they're trying to take it away from us. If they shut this course the South Side has nothing."

Steven Marshall, who joined the club four years ago after playing at Linn Park as a boy, said: "We want the course kept open or at the very least know what they intend to do with it."

READ MORE: Knightswood links to re-open - here's how to get back into the swing

As we talk John shouts over two men who are about to enter the course.

One of them said: "I come up here during the week. It’s a well-kept and well-used course. I don't see why they're even contemplating shutting it down. It's busy all the time, year-round.

“We get the bus here and we would be devastated if it shut. I don't have a car so there is nowhere else to go. I'm retired now. It keeps me going. It keeps me active.”

While signs say constant ticket checks occur, members say the public use it freely

Although the course is popular not everyone who enters pays. The club is officially closed right now but according to its members, it has never been busier.

Peter Mitchell, club secretary, said: "The administration is dreadful. It’s non-existent. Nobody collects money. I come up here and I pay my money to go in but most people don't. They just walk in. This must be the worst administered golf course in the world.

"I come up here nearly every day because I’m retired a long time. I’m the only one out there usually who has paid. There are no checks, no nothing and then they say: 'we'll need to shut it because it's not making any money'. It's not making any money because they don't collect it.

"We're supposed to have this legacy from the Commonwealth Games. Is the legacy going to be shutting everything people want to use?”

READ MORE: Which sports have restarted and when will the rest follow?

Closing Linn Park would leave only private courses in the area, pushing golf out of the financial reach of many.

Steven said: "For £260 you can join the club, get a handicap and play golf anywhere in Scotland. I don't know if you've looked at the prices for other clubs but you're talking £2000 before you’ve even hit a ball.”

Councillor Malcolm Cunning said: “I share local concerns about the future of Linn Park Golf Course. Glasgow Life was already struggling to maintain devices and facilities. The pandemic has made the financial situation even worse.

“Linn Park Golf Course is used by residents across the South Side of the city and I believe the case for its retention is unarguable.

“I will be pressing Glasgow Life to reopen it fully as soon as possible and to guarantee its future as an essential part of sporting provision within the city.”

A spokesperson for Glasgow Life said: “We’ll continue to work together with Glasgow City Council to review and prioritise which venues and services we can restart or reopen and when.

“Covid-19 has had a large financial impact on Glasgow Life and this must be taken into account when we consider reopening venues.”

Glasgow Life announced 61 venues across the city which will open from now until October. Linn Park was not on the list. The Glasgow Times understands that no decision has been made on which venues will or will not open after October.