Golf club may have no future

Andrew Cowie • Published 7 Apr 2010 16:00 5 Comments

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WITH the new season just started the committee of Cowdenbeath Golf Club are worried that their set-up has no future.

The membership at the Dora course are concerned that Fife Council might welcome Lochgelly Golf Club aboard with the course moving from being a municipal facility to a private club.

The Cowdenbeath club's concern was intensified when the Charrette initiative in Lochgelly saw the suggestions that the current site for the Lochgelly Golf Club was not the correct one for that club and they should move to join forces with the Cowdenbeath club.

Said a spokesman for the Cowdenbeath committee, "Over the past year things have gone quiet on any move by Lochgelly.

"In January last year we were asked, at the instigation of Fife Council, to attend a meeting with Lochgelly and council officials, to hear proposals for a merger.

"We listened to what was proposed and went back to our membership to get their views and at a special general meeting it was unanimously agreed that we discontinue any involvement in merger discussions.

"The whole thing went quiet until the Charrette initiative when the future of the Lochgelly course seemed to be an important part of the plans for the new Lochgelly and it seemed that the main proposal was that the Lochgelly should merge with us at the Dora." He added, "Now the problem we have with this suggestion is that the plans seem to be less of a merger and more of Lochgelly swallowing us up.

"They have a bigger membership than us and the proposals at the Charrette seem to suggest a club house at the Lochgelly end which would mean the end for our facility in Cowdenbeath.

"We cannot see how this new operation would work with us having separate identities and it would mean the end for Cowdenbeath Golf Club."

The club was resurrected just over 30 years ago to guide the construction of the Dora Course which was extended from nine holes to eighteen some years ago.

The extended clubhouse has made the Cowdenbeath club a tight knit set-up with just under 100 members and interest growing in joining the club.

Added the spokesman, "Our worry is that all these rumours about possible mergers will lead to people being frightened off joining us. But we can assure the people of Cowdenbeath that we will fight to keep this club alive."

Fife Council's Alistair MacGregor, the Golf Services Manager, said that no hasty decision would be taken regarding the future of any golf facility.

He said, "The Lochgelly Charrette considered the future of the whole town of Lochgelly for the next 60 years and a key part of this was the Lochgelly Golf Club.

"The consultants running the Charrette, DPZ, have a great deal of experience in golf courses and quickly identified the future of the club as a key issue. In the medium to long term, DPZ's initial view was Lochgelly Club would be unlikely to survive and this generated much debate within the community.

"The Lochgelly Charrette final report will be presented to Fife Council in May 2010 and will include the final proposals and recommendations. At this point the Council will consider the findings in relation to the proposals within the Draft Mid Fife Local Plan. It is well known that Lochgelly and Cowdenbeath golf clubs have faced considerable membership and financial challenges in recent years. Both clubs have recently had to levy their membership. Excess capacity in golf course provision in the Central fife area is creating real problems for many local clubs.

"If following the planning process Lochgelly golf course is allocated for housing then clearly the merits of an arrangement with Lomond Homes and Lochgelly Golf club regarding the development of the Dora would need to be considered by the council in consultation with the key stakeholders".

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Rossco
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Apr 12, 09:24
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It will be sad for the people of cowdenbeath to see the golf club close, but if they merge with lochgelly, it will be better in the long run, the course will have more members and that means more money to spend on the course,at the moment cowdenbeath golf course is very poor and lochgellys is average, but if they were to merge i think they will have a great course to compete with the other courses in fife

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JOHN O NEIL
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Apr 13, 12:15
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LOCHGELLY GOLF COURSE IS NOT IN TROUBLE AND IF THEY WERE AND 1800 HOUSES BUILT IN LOCHGELLY, AND A PORTION OF THE NEW TENNANTS JOINING THE CLUB OUR CLUB WOULD BE MUCH BETTER OFF STAYING IN LOCHGELLY AT OUR NEW COURSE BUILT IN LOCHGELLY FOR LOCHGELLY,NOT SHAREING A COUNCIL COURSE IN COWDENBEATH REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY BUILD THE CLUB HOUSE.AND IF ROSSCO IS KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT THE MERGER WILL GIVE US THEN HE WOULDNT BE RIGHTIING THAT RUBBISH IN HIS COMMENT.(WE KNOW ITS YOU IAN )

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rossco
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Apr 14, 12:55
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FAO JOHN O'NEIL

Hi John i have been at member at both courses, if Lochgelly were so well off why did the want £100 levy off the members????????? Also if the merged it wouldn't be a council course, it would be a private course, if this did happen then maybe the cowdenbeath members would come to Lochgelly and Lochgelly would have more members, all the good courses run on 300 or more fully paid members, i would think Lochgelly have about 200 if your lucky, i think Cowdenbeath golf courses with the right amount of money and good green keepers could be a cracking courses, i know that alot of it would need to be ripped up, but there's plenty space there for a great course, pro shop, club house and driving range.

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rossco
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Apr 14, 13:04
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Also i'm not Ian

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cd
Unregistered User
Apr 26, 14:22
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Join the meedies.

simples.....

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