An Angus golf club caught up in a course ownership dispute for over a decade is preparing to celebrate its 25th anniversary next month, boosted by news that membership has now exceeded 450 golfers.
Members of Letham Grange Golf Club (LGGC) near Arbroath have been on a rollercoaster journey since the turn of the year, when it was announced the controllers of the course could no longer afford to keep the venue 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 LGGC which is independent to the golf resort entered an agreement to run the course, until the court ruling was passed.
The club is still waiting to hear what the financial implications may be and has opted to continue operating the course until told otherwise.
Initial hopes were that around 250 people would sign up to a year-long membership to the Old Course and the Glens Course but that has been far exceeded.
Captain Nick Jackson said, “There has not been any development on the legal position and for us it is a matter of business as usual and taking care of the running of the golf club.
“The big news for us is that membership has now passed the 450 mark, which has hugely exceeded our expectations.”
He added, “Most golf clubs that have been around for 125 years have not been through what we have had to contend with in 25 years, so it is fantastic that people are supporting us.
“There is a great atmosphere around the club and any new buyer coming in will now be able to see this is a rock-solid club with an established membership.”
Head greenkeeper John Galloway has been hired to look after the fairways, with the help of greens controller David Dawson.
Staff are now operating the golf desk, supplemented by a pool of club volunteers, while an agreement with a local hostelry has been reached for catering for outings and functions such as Captains Day.
Over £3000 has been donated by non-golfing Letham Grange residents to help with the upkeep of the entrance and other areas of the resort and two golf buggies have been donated to the club
The club is now preparing to celebrate its 25th anniversary and will invite former members and professionals back for a barbecue and golf day on June 12.
Control of Letham Grange has been at the centre of a legal battle since 2001 when Mr Liu, who then owned Letham Grange Development Company Ltd (LGDC), sold the firm’s hotel and golf club to another of his companies, Nova Scotia Ltd (NSL).
LGDC was then liquidated and the liquidator began a lengthy legal pursuit of NSL, claiming the sale had not been within the law.
The case found its way to the House of Lords before being determined at the Court of Session.
However, LGDC had borrowed from another of Mr Liu’s companies, Foxworth Investments Ltd, and had granted standard security over the hotel to that company.
The liquidator then started another legal action to strike out the standard security and pass the hotel to the venture capitalists.
Mr Liu opposed it and evidence was led from both sides last summer, with Lord Glennie issuing a judgment in Mr Liu’s favour.
He dismissed the liquidator’s claim and upheld the security in favour of Foxworth, which it can exercise over the hotel; however the liquidator retains control of the wider golf resort.