Drumoig cuts losses as Scottish golf faces up to rough times

Mike Aitken, The Scotsman, 29 August 2002

The financially-troubled Scottish National Golf Centre at Drumoig, near St Andrews, will close some of its non-golfing facilities and consider redundancies among its full-time staff in a bid to trim losses and ensure the centre’s long-term future.

Neil Simpson, who was managing director of the SNGC from its opening, has resigned to take up a new post in England and won’t be replaced. Hamish Grey, the chief executive of the Scottish Golf Union, has taken over responsibility for the running of the centre.

Following a review prompted by predictions that the annual shortfall would continue to increase unless immediate action was taken, the SGU has decided to shut the sports hall and the gym at Drumoig as well as running a smaller shop.

In the process of concentrating on quality golf coaching, it is expected some of the 14 full-time equivalent members of staff will be made redundant.

A statement from the SGU reported that a consultation process with staff was underway and further information will be released in due course.

Confirming Drumoig would move away from activities out-with golf, Grey said yesterday: “The proposal under consideration is that we’ll close the sports hail and the gymnasium as well as downsize the retail element.

“Those facilities enjoyed reasonable usage but not enough to justify their existence.

“What we believe is the way ahead is to concentrate on our core business at the SNGC - namely coaching, teaching and practising golf. We’ve announced the possibility of redundancies and are now in a consultation period. For legal reasons, I can’t go into any more detail at the moment.”

Although a wonderful facility in its own right which has played some part in the success of Scotland’s elite amateurs in recent years, Drumoig was viewed by many among the golfing public as the right training centre in the wrong place.

It was sited too far from the main centres of population and soon acquired a reputation as a white elephant.

As losses mounted to around £1 million, the SGU was forced to look to club members in Scotland to bail them out and this year the levy went up by 100 per cent from £5 to £10. However SGU officials appreciate it is not an option to take the words out of Oliver Twist’s mouth in 2003 and ask for more.

“We said last year we wouldn’t go back and ask the club members to pay out again and we stand by that,” added Grey. “Our aim is to manage the centre within certain parameters and these recommendations from the boards of both bodies fall under that brief. Frankly, it would be irresponsible for us to do otherwise. We are very aware of what the feelings are on this subject.

“It shouldn’t be forgotten, though, that we have a first-class teaching business and an outstanding coaching facility.

“One of the key things we’ve learnt over the years is that we can provide coaching programmes for the public which is a mirror image of what we do for our very top players.

“This latest move is to focus all our energies on what we do best. After all, golf coaching and practice is what we’re there for and we will continue to invest in that side of the business. We plan to be at the leading edge. We are committed to a national training facility and getting more youngsters into the game.

“But the fact is that we can’t move Drumoig and have to make the best use of what we’ve got. We already have a national coach in Ian Rae who looks after our best amateurs. Now our intention is to appoint a new director of coaching who will lead the team which looks after the paying public.”

Opened in 1998 at a cost of £4.6 million, nearly twice the original building estimate, Simpson warned last year how Drumoig would turn into “a glorified driving range” unless steps were taken to sort out the centre’s finances.