It was one of the oldest courses in the country until it was forced to close its doors earlier this year. But now, only a matter of months after it shut, a historic golf club on the south side of Glasgow could re-open.
The sale of Eastwood Golf Club assets was completed earlier this week, with the new owner believed to be open to the possibility of bringing the club back to life. Eastwood, in Newton Mearns, closed earlier this year after a buyout to save the 126-year-old club fell through at the last minute.
Like many of its contemporaries, it had seen its membership tumble and, consequently, ran out of money to stay afloat.
Attempts to drum up new business, including the introduction of genderneutral tees and a club open day, failed to stem the losses and, on May 14 this year, it formally closed.
However, following a marketing exercise undertaken by chartered surveyors DM Hall, the Par 70 course, whose club history dates back to 1893, has been purchased for more than the asking price of £750,000. According to the sellers, a reversion to farmland, a new housing estate and a refurbished pay-and-play golf course were just some of the possible futures envisaged by potential bidders for the 151.66 acre site.
Donald Yellowley, a partner in DM Hall’s Bridge of Allan office who oversaw the marketing process, said: “We were pleasantly surprised by the interest generated throughout the UK by this property even before the marketing process was fully under way.
“The top bidders have secured this long-established golfing establishment set in an attractive heathland location, with highly accessible road connections”.
Located half a mile from the M77, three-and-a-half miles from the affluent suburb of Newton Mearns and 14 miles from Glasgow city centre, the highly regarded, and “challenging”, 18-hole golf course is set in an attractive parkland rural setting.
With a good variety of holes, comprising 12 par fours, four par threes and two par fives, its US Golf Association (USGA) specification greens and tees allows play in most weather conditions.
The focus of the course is the clubhouse, a landmark structure which sits in an elevated position and comprises a main hall, three bar lounges, formal dining room and kitchen, coffee room, locker rooms, offices and a two-bedroom club steward’s flat.
Other buildings include a professional’s shop and a greenkeeper’s shed including store and office.
There is also an extensive car parking area to the front. A spokesperson for official receivers MLM Solutions would not reveal the identity of the new owner, nor the amount that they had paid for the assets.
But they did confirm that the sale had been completed this week. The possibility of Eastwood re-opening would be a welcome boost to the Scottish golf industry which has been subject to a spate of closures in recent months.
Earlier this week, we revealed that Glasgow City Council had closed Ruchill Golf Course, with the fate of its five other municipal layouts to be announced next month.
The closures of Mount Ellen in Lanarkshire, Letham Grange in Angus and Camperdown in Dundee have also been confirmed in recent months, with many more clubs believed to be on the brink of going to the wall. One club in the Highlands is understood to have been visited by sheriff’s officers last week after running into financial difficulty.
Polmont Golf Club was saved last week after an 11th hour bid to stop it from going under was agreed at an extraordinary general meeting
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