Campaigners celebrate as golf course is saved

Oct 16 2009 by Stuart Wilson

GOLFERS are celebrating after winning a dramatic victory.

South Ayrshire Council confirmed it will backtrack on plans to close Dalmilling Golf Course.

The original decision, taken in February, led to mass demonstrations and a campaign to save the course.

And council officers appear to have listened, suspending the closure until a suitable solution is found.

County Buildings was packed with Dalmilling members as they waited to hear their fate at a full meeting of South Ayrshire Council.

Roddy MacDonald, the council’s head of community development, was tasked with leading the group looking at golf strategy.

He said: “This council requires to adapt a more ambitious approach to golf in South Ayrshire.

“We need to maximise the undoubted potential that exists in this area and our aim is to establish South Ayrshire as a centre for golfing excellence.

“Therefore the decision to be made is suspending the closure of Dalmilling golf course.”

Mr MacDonald’s words were greeted with applause from the gathered golfers – and praise from the councillors who had once voted to close the course.

Depute leader Margaret Toner insisted: “This report’s been a long time in coming and is the first time golf has been looked at in depth in South Ayrshire.

“Now we can develop the sport for youngsters and this will put golf where it should be.”

SNP leader Nan MacFarlane added: “This is one of the best and most visionary documents this council has seen in a long time.

“It demonstrates a commitment made from the officers and from this council to establish South Ayrshire as a centre for golfing excellence.”

But some councillors were tougher to win over and didn’t mince their words when taking the floor.

Labour’s Ian Cavana confessed: “I welcome the decision, but have to ask why this happened in the first place.

“It’s diabolical that people had to march down the streets of Ayr because of a mistake made by this council, and I find it ironic that people are now slapping Roddy on the back for a report that should never have been required.”

And those words were echoed by Labour colleague Phil Saxton, who said: “My problem is that suspension is not actually keeping the course open.

“If we’re going to make a decision to keep Dalmilling open then it should be for the long term – not a short term measure like suspension of the closure.”

Mr MacDonald insisted that the suspension was pending a new strategy that would see golf provision be self financing by the year 2013-14.

And council leader Hugh Hunter took the positives from the outcome.

He insisted: “What we have here is a paper and a management team who want to turn South Ayrshire into the golf capital of Scotland.

“And I want to thank the members of Dalmilling for getting into discussions with us during the course of the year – it speaks volumes about their integrity.”

With their future secure for the foreseeable future, the golfers attending the meeting rose to their feet as one and applauded the decision before making their exit.

They live to fight another day