A golf course described as the “jewel in the crown” by one of its senior members is set to close after 87 years.
Brackenwood Golf Course, in Bebington, Wirral, opened in 1935, but will close on April 1 after Wirral Council’s budget saw it withdraw funding from two of its four municipal courses, Hoylake and Brackenwood. Jackie Watts, secretary of the ladies section at the club, said: “The course means a heck of a lot, we’ve been here since 1935. We have very strong men's and ladies sections.
“A lot of people are playing into their late eighties. It’s incredible that the council is closing it, it’s the jewel in the municipal crown.”
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Wirral Council decided to withdraw funding from the course as it needed to cut £20m to balance its budget, which was approved on February 28 at a full council meeting. The authority also withdrew support for Woodchurch Leisure Centre and nine libraries, but a pot of money has been made available to community groups who want to try and keep them open.
This has not happened in the case of Brackenwood, or Hoylake, meaning Arrowe Park Golf Course and The Warren, in Wallasey, will be the only two public courses in the borough from April 1. Closing Brackenwood and Hoylake will save the council £328,000 per year.
Ms Watts felt all of the courses should remain open. She added: “It shouldn’t be any of them [that have to close]. We have got an alternative operator who wants to take [Brackenwood] on, but they have to go through the hoops of the council.
“The libraries and the leisure centre have been given a stay of execution, but it does seem that’s not the case with us. On April 1, we will close and no one will want to take it on if it’s left fallow for even a few months, it’s a great shame.”
Ms Watts added the ladies section has 41 members and the men's has around 100, with many others turning up and playing on a so-called ‘pay and play' basis. She said the atmosphere at the course creates a “great vibrant clubhouse”.
On Saturday, members of the club will play one last round to celebrate everything the course means to them. Ms Watts said more than 100 people are expected to play and it will be a "great day".
Speaking last month about the difficulty of finding a new provider if the course shuts on April 1, Keith Marsh, secretary of the men’s section at the club, said: “With a library, you can close it down and do a bit of maintenance and cleaning and open it again.
“But if the council closes the golf course in April and does not do any maintenance it will go to wreck and ruin.”
Wirral Council referred to the council’s budget, which was passed on February 28. It said forthcoming reports to the authority's Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee would contain: "A full exploration of all proposals submitted during the consultation period for Hoylake and Brackenwood golf courses, including options for increasing fees, alternative provision and environmental projects."
The relevant section of the budget also contained the following section, which read: “That expressions of interest be invited for the transfer of one or more golf courses to a community run body, to be submitted by September 30, 2022, to be developed as a business case and assessed by the council. This will not affect the saving proposal to come into effect as of April 1, 2022, following budget council.”
