Historic golf course loses 18th hole after shock ruling

A 113-year-old golf club has been forced to shut its 18th hole after a neighbour complained about errant shots going on their land. 

As first reported by the Daily Post, the Anglesey County Council has ruled that Holyhead Golf Club in North Wales closes its par-4 finishing hole on health and safety grounds.

Officials at Holyhead are said to have been left stunned after the news came “out of the blue.” As it stands, members now only have a 17-hole course at their disposal until further notice.

That is, of course, disastrous for the prospect of inviting future members and visitors, as well as making 18-hole competitions on the popular course void.

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The club has instead launched a £75,000 fundraising appeal to build a new 18th green further away from the neighbour’s land.

“A neighbour said golf balls were leaving the boundary of the course and going onto their property,” a spokesman for Holyhead said. “He has evidence balls were going into his garden and he raised the issue with the council.

“We are very disappointed. I don’t know of any golf club in the country who can just find £80,000 out of thin air. But we can’t bury our heads in the sand and just hope everything will be OK. We have got no defence against it. We have to comply.”

The Holyhead appeal on GoFundMe reads: “We have not had time to plan on how we can sustain and finance this drastic change to our golf course, given such short notice.

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Course officials hope work will be completed on a new green and that Holyhead will be an 18-holer again from May 1, 2025.

A spokesperson for Isle of Anglesey County Council confirmed the ruling: “The County Council’s Public Protection team has served an improvement notice to Holyhead Golf Club under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

“The Council has a statutory duty to ensure the health and safety of golf course users as well as members of the public that may be affected by the golf course.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.