Bugged Bob MacIntyre weighs in overpricing in Scottish golf amid course closures
Scottish No 1 also laments loss of support system that helped him become global star
Bob MacIntyre has spoken about being “bugged” by golf outpricing itself at a time when two clubs in Scotland have closed in the past few weeks and more are fighting to survive.
Speaking in St Andrews ahead of his appearance alongside dad Dougie in this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the world No 16 also lamented the loss of a support system in Scotland that had helped him and fellow DP World Tour winners Ewen Ferguson and Grant Forrest gain valuable experience playing in pro events when they were still amateurs.
The Hirsel in Coldstream was closed overnight last month after a decision was taken to file for bankruptcy while Torrance Park in Motherwell went out of business earlier this week.
“Like anywhere, the worry with the golf industry right now is the prices go too high and out prices a lot of people,” said MacIntyre, Scotland’s top-ranked professional golfer in reply to being asked what he felt the country has to offer in terms of golf.
“It bugs me, but there are a lot of business decisions, a lot of people want to make a lot of money and it's going to damage a lot of local communities within that to try and play the game of golf.
“But I think you pull back and you go to the smaller towers and the smaller areas, that's where you see a lot more people playing golf.
“It's an area that's up for discussion within world golf, Scottish golf. The opportunity within the Central Belt in the main areas is great. You've got so many golf courses, you’ve got so much support. You've got the driving ranges, gyms, you've got this, that you've got everything you need.
“You go to the local communities and there's not as much funding going to them. There's not as much support for them and that's fine. There's probably less people playing golf in that area, but, for the size of town Oban is, the number of members, the ratio is quite high.
“The give and take side of it within the funding side to help clubs come up, they still get clubs in the Central Belt closing down because there's so many.
“But, for me, coming from Oban, the support you get in the smaller communities. Yet we didn't have a junior county team in Argyll & Bute this year, and it’s sad.”
As he was coming through the ranks, MacIntyre was among a group of promising Scottish players who teed up in Challenge Tour events thanks to a support package designed to smooth the transition of young amateurs to the professional ranks. It is no longer in place, which is baffling to MacIntyre.
“I’ve done great out of Scottish Golf,” he said of the game’s governing body. “I’m here, I’m living a dream. I’m as high as I’ve ever been in the world rankings and playing at the highest level.
“Thanks to a set up involving Scottish Golf, Scottish Hydro and Bounce [Sports Management], myself and a bunch of other guys had a pathway to help us get here.
“Myself, Grant Forrest, Ewen Ferguson were in there, Euan Walker was in there as well for a while. Before that, I think the youngest Scottish guy on tour was maybe 34, 35 years old.
“I look at the Danes, the Danish squad and it’s just a conveyor belt. I don't know what they’re doing differently but, when you find something that starts working, give it a chance, give it a bit longer.”
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