Carnoustie businesses will be surveyed about the effect of the Open on trade after grievances were aired about its impact on the town.
Rob Alcock , manager of the Kinloch Hotel claimed the tournament had turned Carnoustie into a “ghost town”, and that visitors were “funnelled” away from the town.
Others argued the area seemed busier than usual and a study will be conducted to see if that was the case.
Mr Kinloch said: “The Open for us was one of the most disappointing in terms of expectations versus actual trade.
“I believe local businesses were punished by the local authorities, and the event organisation who effectively ensured that the main town of Carnoustie was bypassed for the entire event.
“I feel that all local businesses who geared up for the event were disappointed by the overall turnout.
“Everything possible was done to make sure a fraction of the 170,000 anticipated visitors came into Carnoustie itself. The main street was like a ghost town.
“From visitors being funnelled directly to the event via buses, stewards directing people away from the town, parking restrictions across the area to people being held in the site by organisers, all of these conspired to disadvantage local businesses.
“If you weren’t a golfer and drove through Carnoustie you would have thought the town was actually closed.
“It is local small businesses that are the life blood of this town, day in and day out we employ the local people through good times and bad, but clearly that counts for nothing to the local authority who have bent over backwards to deliver whatever the event organisers asked for, to the detriment of their constituents.
“To a small business, these events offer an opportunity to develop and sustain them through the difficult trading winters and to help make investment in the future.”
However, Carnoustie and District Independent Councillor David Cheape disagreed with the assessment, saying: “Each time I passed the Kinloch Arms Hotel during the course of the week, it seemed considerably busier than it is usually.
“Earlier in the year Carnoustie Community Development Trust in association with Angus Council offered all businesses in town the opportunity of a free advert in a business brochure, and during Open week armed their volunteer Ambassadors with leaflets on where to eat and drink in town, and these were given to train passengers and park and ride visitors on arrival.
“As far as other businesses are concerned, I believe two food establishments ran out of food by Sunday evening such was demand, and I was also made aware of two well established shops on the main thoroughfare that increased sales 154% and 35% respectively on the same week last year.”
Mr Cheape added that the council plans to contact local businesses on the impact they experienced during the event, and will also undertake an economic impact assessment that will be publicly available on completion.
