Officials at a closure-threatened Angus golf club have vowed to increase next year’s membership, despite its uncertain future.
Letham Grange Golf Club has attracted more than 500 members since March, when the golfers themselves took over the reins from the company that was looking after the Old Course and the Glens Course near Arbroath.
The group’s ”can do” attitude has seen members take on responsibility for all aspects of the running of the club and the committee responsible for management is now keen to improve on this year’s success.
Initial hopes were that around 250 people would sign up to a year-long membership to both courses, but that has been more than doubled.
By expanding its membership, Letham Grange is bucking a national trend which is seeing numbers dwindle at courses and clubs.
In an open letter to everyone in the organisation, sub-committee member Ian Christine hailed the efforts of all those involved in turning the club’s fortunes around since taking control.
He said: ”We ended this year with 512 members, which is a magnificent achievement, and we want to not only keep that membership, we want to grow it.”
VisitScotland and the Scottish Golf Union (SGU) have applauded the efforts of the club, which refused to give up the fight after the resort was shut early this year.
Scottish Golf development manager Andy Salmon said it was a ”pretty rare set-up” to see an operating club run by the members and for the members.
Officers from the SGU continue to work closely with the committee at Letham Grange and are on hand to offer advice and support when required.
VisitScotland sees the success of the group as important to sustaining golf tourism in the area.
The club’s membership and guest income combined with visitor revenue and buggy rental has generated enough to employ three greenkeepers through the five-month winter period, ensuring the course will be kept in shape.
A number of course improvements are also planned, including work to install better drainage.
Members suffered a nail-biting few months at the start of the year, when it was announced that the controllers of the courses could no longer afford to keep Letham Grange open.
In April a 10-year legal battle between Taiwanese businessman Peter Liu and the resort’s administrators was finally settled, finding in favour of Mr Liu.
Before that, members of the club which is independent to the golf resort had entered an agreement to run the courses until the court ruling was passed.
With more legal appeals against the decision in the pipeline, the arrangement looks certain to run for the foreseeable future.