Plans approved for new £1.3m Scottish golf centre

Councillors have voted through plans for a brand-new golf centre in South Ayrshire, despite some fierce opposition.

As first reported by insider.co.uk, the £1.3m complex is to be built on the site of the current first tee at Belleisle golf course in Ayr.

To include a new range, practice greens and other facilities, the centre was approved by 24 votes to seven and is being backed to help attract more young people, women and beginners to the sport.

The council now intends to open a wider public consultation on the plans.

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Jane Bradley, director of communities and transformation, explained that the long-term viability of the local golf provision required the council to find ways to make additional revenue.

“In order for us to deliver a sustainable facility for the people of South Ayrshire, we have to generate income to allow us to do that,” she said.

“If we don’t generate sufficient income, we can’t sustain the golf courses, if we don’t invest in the golf courses then we will lose numbers.

“What we are not seeing is the same number of young people coming forward or the same number of females taking up golf.

“One way to try and address that is to be appropriate practice facilities.”

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Some opponents of the plans have claimed that the centre will come at a cost to the existing James Braid-designed course.

However, sports and leisure spokesperson councillor Brian Connolly dismissed those suggestions.

“There’s going to be one hole changed,” he said. “We’re going to bring bunkers up to modern standards, we’re going to bring greens up to modern standards.

“The work that is done on that one hole will mean that we don’t close the course at all.

”We will develop a new hole and when that is done then we’ll go to look at the development centre.”

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor