By Michael Alexander

STAFF AT the closure-threatened Scottish National Golf Centre at Drumoig in Fife yesterday spoke of their anger at the way it had been allowed to “slide” and accused the Scottish Golf Union of “washing their hands” of responsibility now that the receivers had been called in.

Several of the centre’s 15 employees, now facing possible redundancy, told The Courier how the receivership announcement had come “out of the blue” leading to “tears, shock and total disbelief” among staff who now felt “abandoned” by their employers.

The staff highlighted the many messages of support they had received from the public receivership announcement three weeks ago, with many amateur golfers from far and wide expressing their own disbelief at the situation and several blaming “incompetent management.”

The staff also felt that not enough was being done to save the centre and dismissed claims, mainly from some sections of the Glasgow/Edinburgh-based Press, that its location was its main reason for failing.

The golf world was sent reeling on September 25 after the news that the troubled and loss-making centre had been placed in receivership.

The Scottish Golf Union announced that the £4.5 million centre would have lost another £300,000 in the year ahead if the decision had not been taken.

The centre opened in a blaze of publicity in 1999 to provide training facilities for Scotland’s amateur golf teams and coaching squads, and for the public.

There had been criticism, however, that it was too far away from the central belt. Over five years it has lost around £1 million and, despite a major restructuring operation in the past 15 months, the SGU believes it has been left with “no alternative” to receivership.

The golf course at Drumoig is run separately and is not affected by the receivership.

Yesterday, however, as the receivers confirmed that the closing date for purchase offers was the end of this week, golf centre staff, who asked not to be identified, said they reckoned not enough had been done to make a success of the centre—and dismissed the reasons given for its failing. They also felt that not enough was being done to find a buyer.

Explaining that they felt the time had come to speak out instead of “sitting around like lambs waiting to be slaughtered,” one senior staff member said, “We are not willing to accept that the Scottish National Golf Centre at Drumoig is a failure.

“The geography and weather of this area is ideal for golf training. It’s the way it’s been run that’s the problem.”

Another employee said, “The SGU have washed their hands of us.

“The announcement came out of the blue. We were told at 9am and the news release went out at 10. We were in tears, in shock, and were left to tell our colleagues who were not in that day what had happened by phone.”

Several parties have been shown around with a view to possible purchase.

But not knowing what is going to happen is the worst, the employees said, claiming that “nobody at the Scottish Golf Union seems particularly bothered.”

One staff member revealed that a letter was being written to the local MP, MSPs and golf clubs in a bid to drum up support.

Hundreds of messages left in the SNGC visitor book over the past couple of weeks give a flavour of public feeling on the issue.

Messages include one from a Tayport man which says, “Should never be allowed to come to this. The centre has potential with the right people running it.”

Another reads, “It is a great facility! SGU, what are you up to? Manage this place properly!”

Last night a spokesman for the Scottish Golf Union declined to comment further but “stood by” what they had said already.