Historic Scottish golf course rescued after closure fears

A prestigious Scottish golf club has avoided the same fate as other doomed local courses after a “Herculean” rescue mission.

The historic King James VI Golf Club on Moncrieffe Island in Perth was ravaged by Storm Babet in October 2023 as its flood defences were ripped apart, leaving the course deluged.

Holes on the original Old Tom Morris layout were left three feet under water and extensive damage was done even after the course had been completely drained.

But after huge fears that it would be forced to close like venues such as Hirschel and Caird Park, a successful 18-month plan to rebuild its flood defences has put the King James VI course back on track.

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Club captain Scott Fenton says repairs have cost £75,000, but crucially took a huge effort from staff to restore the original layout and make it operational again.

“Before this happened we had managed to more than double our visitor numbers,” Fenton told The Herald.

“We had lots of people who wanted to come and play such a unique and historic golf course and as a club we were really on the up.

“Obviously with the issues we had visitor income dropped right off and it made it really difficult for the club.

“But our members stuck with us and the work they put in was Herculean – they were out clearing the holes by hand, even when they kept getting flooded over and over until the flood defences could be rebuilt.

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“Every time we asked they would come and clear debris and then a high tide would come in and we’d be back to square one. It was nothing short of soul destroying but they stuck to the task and for that we are eternally grateful.

“We had to completely rebuild the flood defences that had been swept away – all in all it cost about £75,000, a lot of money for a golf club.

The challenge was made even more difficult by the fact that rebuild supplies were only able to reach the island club during the low tides between April and September.

Only nine holes were playable after the floods, but all 18 holes are now back open.

“It is a great course to visit,” Fenton added, “and we definitely want to get the word out there that we are back to the full 18 and in great condition for the summer season ahead.”

Ben Parsons is the Senior Writer at bunkered 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.