Glasgow club calls for “respect” following weekend of sledging

A Glasgow-based golf club has pleaded with the local community to clean up after themselves if they’re using the course to enjoy the winter conditions.

Clober, situated in Milngavie to the north of Glasgow, features a steep hill at its par-4 seventh hole, which routinely attracts keen sledgers whenever there is heavy snowfall.

Unfortunately, the aftermath of the most recent such activity at the weekend resulted in an abundance of litter being strewn across the course – a situation the club is not best pleased about.

• R&A won’t take Open to Turnberry

• Top coach suggests one thing to help Spieth

“All we are looking for is a bit of respect and not to leave rubbish, gloves, hats and broken sledges lying about everywhere,” explained Clober Golf Club’s PGA professional, Gary McFarlane, to bunkered.co.uk.

“It’s one of those things that we just accept. We have got a rather steep hill on the seventh, which people enjoy coming over and sledging on. We have just always sucked that up and got on with it.

Listen!

A BLETHER WITH STEPHEN GALLACHER, WHAT NOW FOR JORDAN SPIETH? AND GOLF’S LOCKDOWN!

“Our relationship is good with the local community. We have members who come and do it and it’s great to see. However, maybe at this time, where we are with lockdown, people should be having a bit more caution and perhaps have a second thought about it.”

McFarlane explained that the sledging also has a negative impact on the course itself, with the seventh green sitting at the foot of the slope.

• PGA cancels plans to play major at Trump course

“The damage, more than anything, is about the compaction,” he added. “The green ends up completely solid with ice with people standing on it. The grass ends up very badly scarred on the hill as a result of the sledges. Even an inch of snow and they are out there and that turns it to mud and ice.”

Despite the cold temperatures, Clober GC is committed to remaining open as much as possible in line with current COVID-19 restrictions, with McFarlane explaining the steep area remains shut in cold, icy conditions.

• Tiger agent hits out at “salacious” documentary

“We don’t tend to close a lot,” explained McFarlane. “If it’s frosty, we just have our flat holes open. We tend to stay away from the hill area. It takes a lot for us to shut and we have all of these new members to think of as well. It’s the first winter they are seeing the course, so we are trying to stay open as much as we can.”

Clober is by no means the only club to require a large clean-up operation following the weekend’s sledging. Cathcart Castle on the south-side of Glasgow reported finding broken sledges, rubbish and broken glass when its greenkeeping crew arrived for work on Monday morning.