New £200,000 Arbroath crazy golf course will lie out of bounds for months

Arbroath’s new £200,000 crazy golf course will lie out of bounds for six months before visitors can hit its fairways.

The new West Links attraction is now under construction.

And it should be complete within weeks.

But folk fancying a shot on the nine-holer will have to keep their putter in the bag until the spring.

Divided opinion

The £212k town centre fund project split local opinion.

Its fully accessible design is being welcomed as a valuable addition to the popular family play area.

But critics say crazy golf is a throwback to the 1960s and claim the money could have been put to better use.

Council chiefs have also confirmed the quest is continuing for an independent operator to run the facilities at the popular play area for the 2022 tourist season.

It has led to criticism from one local councillor that the authority has failed to cash in on the best summer for decades.

Arbroath member Brenda Durno said she had been disappointed other attractions such as the mini motorbikes at the play area hadn’t been operational.

“We’ve had the best summer for 100 years and we haven’t had anything open for families,” she said.

“Now we’re spending £200,000 on a crazy golf course no-one wants, with no guarantee that someone will want to take it on.

“We’re potentially losing a lot of money by not having all of this running.”

West Links was also home to the world famous Arbroath miniature railway before it shut down in 2020 after 85 years of operation across three generations of the Kerr family.

Completion

An Angus Council spokesperson said the course is expected to be complete towards the end of this month.

They added: “Discussions are continuing on finding a new tenant for the West Links attractions.

“With no operator yet appointed the plan is to have the facility ready for opening with the other attractions in the spring.”

Mrs Durno said she was also surprised to learn the West Links attractions are not under the umbrella of the council’s arms’ length Angus Alive leisure trust.

“I had asked parks why the attractions were not open all this year and they said they asked Angus Alive for staff to help man them, but they couldn’t because of shortages,” she added.

“We need to have someone in to operate this next year.”

The Arbroath attractions confusion follows criticism of the situation which has left Carnoustie and Monifieth swim clubs left behind after the easing of pandemic restrictions.

They use pools in the local high schools which are under the control of the council’s education department rather than Angus Alive, whose leisure centres are now back up and running.