Rising costs threaten future of Scottish golf clubs as Hirsel shuts

Scottish golf clubs will shut if they cannot gain members or put up fees, an industry leader has warned.

Despite more people taking up the game during the Covid pandemic, the sport has been in long-term decline in its historical homeland.

Last week another club, Hirsel, near Coldstream — once dubbed the Augusta of the Borders — shut for good. Chris Spencer, of the Scottish Golf & Club Managers Association, warned that others would follow.

“The boom in membership during lockdown has now subsided as economic pressures take their toll,” he said. “With the rising energy prices, minimum wages going up and other costs such as insurance rising, it would not surprise me if other clubs are debating whether they can continue.

“Golf in Scotland