IS DALMILLING BEING CLOSED TO SAVE £40,694 p.a. - Public meeting hears figures from local councillor

A packed tea room at Ayr Dalmilling golf club, with around 100 representatives of affected clubs and other interested parties, gathered on Friday night, 13th February, to discuss the shock decision made by South Ayrshire Council at their meeting on Wednesday past, by a voting margin of 23 to 7, to close the Dalmilling course at the end of 2009.

All the SGU and SLGA afflliated clubs who play at Dalmilling were represented as well as clubs from further afield who may be detrimentally affected by the decision.

Local Councillor Ian Kavanagh attended the meeting and advised those present of the circumstances, as he was able to ascertain, surrounding the decision. He commented that he and other councillors were not aware of the closure proposal being included in the budget proposals until around one hour before the meeting was called to make a decision.

Councillor Kavanagh informed the company that the heading in the budget paper included the closure of Maybole Golf Course as well as Dalmilling but it was later stated in the document that there was a possibility of the community taking on the running of the course in Maybole.

This prompted some disquiet at the meeting as to why the same possibility was not being considered at Dalmilling.

Councillor Kavanagh also informed the meeting that, despite the rumours regarding the land being used to build social housing and/or a new school, there was nothing in the available papers to indicate what was to happen to the Dalmilling golf course land after closure at the end of the year.

The sole explaination that Councillor Kavanagh could offer for the course closure was the £40,694 saving projected for 2010 as a result of the closure of Dalmilling, as he stated he could come to no other conclusion for the swift termination of the facility, with no indication as to what the future plans for the land was.

Many of the club members present cast extreme doubt on some of the figures and statements presented by council officers of the Education, Environment and Lifelong Learning department and included in briefing papers, to aid councillors to make informed decisions.

There was a clear strength of feeling about the closure from those present at the meeting, particularly in the way it was presented with no consultation and the short time scale intended for the complete closure of the course.

Those present heard that the apparently suggested solution to the closure of the course was for the users of Dalmilling to play at other municipal course such as Seafield or Belleisle. This suggestion was considered impossible, not only by those presently playing at Dalmilling but also by members of clubs attached to the other municial courses, as the times at which clubs require tee bookings are presently at or near capacity.

In a simple statement, one club member present commented that the decision would not only remove a much needed facility in the area by will potentially destroy the 6 clubs attached to the course, some of whom have long histories, as there will be nowhere for the clubs to play after the end of the year,

There were many very valid questions raised at the meeting which deserve and require answers from South Ayrshire Council, and the meeting close with the various clubs who play at Dalmilling agreeing to form an action committee to further pursue the issues raised and fight the closure decision. To the credit of all the clubs involved, there were a number of willing volunteers on the night from each of the clubs, keen to serve their clubs and the community on the action group to contest the closure decision.

There will no doubt be further developments in the story in the future, news of which the web page will try to report.