Dundee's Camperdown public golf course to close

Councillors in Dundee have voted to close one of the city's two public golf courses to save almost £400,000 in annual subsidies.

Camperdown Golf Course will close next year with the authority developing a driving range and nine-hole course at Caird Park.

Opposition Labour councillor Charlie Malone described the decision as "cultural vandalism."

SNP councillors and an independent voted by one vote to close the course.

The council said a report had highlighted the "significant infrastructure works" to drainage, woodland, and irrigation needed to "maintain playability."

The 60-year-old club currently has 90 members compared to 105 members at Caird Park Golf Course, the city's other public course.

The number of rounds played at Camperdown Golf Course fell from 23,968 in 2009/10 to 17,369 last year.

Golf Dundee currently receives about £440,000 in annual subsidies for the two courses.

The council said closing Camperdown and completing Caird Park's driving range would reduce the annual subsidy to just under £55,000.

Mr Malone said: "We asked about what was to be become of the golf course - it may become meadow."

"I see meadow growing out of every pavement crack in the city. That would be cultural vandalism.

"A resource 60 years, and there is no assessment of implications; no plans about how to use it."

Speaking ahead of the vote, council leader John Alexander said the move was a "sensible approach" to try to ensure sustainable public golf for the future in the face of "difficult financial challenges."

He said: "I would hope that when the golfers used to playing Camperdown see the new facilities planned for Caird Park, and the extremely good value for money offered by Dundee's municipal golf facilities when compared with other alternatives, that they will make the move."