Southwood Golf Course in Hampshire was shut down on October 3, after Mack Golf, one of the UK’s biggest golf operators, stopped trading with immediate effect, resulting in the closure of seven other golf courses throughout the UK.
The Farnborough-based course, which was owned by Rushmoor Borough Council, was already earmarked for closure next year, but the sudden shutdown of the course took everyone by surprise.
Mack Golf had taken on the running of numerous municipal golf courses from local authorities, and those councils, in Merseyside, Cheshire, Dorset, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Hampshire and Lancashire, will now have to decide what to do with the golf facilities. Rathbane Golf Course in Limerick, Ireland has also been closed.
In addition to Southwood, the golf courses in England that have closed are Moors Valley in Dorset; Ellesmere Port, Heaton Park, Knights Grange, Stony Holme and Stanley Park. Bowring Park in Liverpool was also shut temporarily, but re-opened after it was rescued by Knowsley Council.
A notice pinned to the door of the clubhouse at Southwood Golf Course on October 3 read: “Dear Customers, This letter is notification that due to unavoidable financial difficulties, Mack Trading (Heaton Park) Ltd & Mack Trading Amenity Management Group Ltd (trading as Mack Golf) are regrettably closing for business with immediate effect. These companies have ceased trading and are now in the process of a creditors voluntary liquidation. An official insolvency practitioner has commenced the insolvency process.”
Rushmoor Council has yet to announce immediate plans for the club, although it is unlikely to re-open given the council’s previous decision close the club in 2019 and turn it into a protected open space for local residents to use.
Christchurch and East Dorset Councils, which manage Moor Valley Golf Course in Ringwood, were made aware of the closure at 10pm on Tuesday (October 2). Matti Raudsepp, strategic director at the council, said: “We are waiting to hear from the receivers that have been appointed to act on their behalf and currently the golf course is closed. We are working to ensure that members of the golf club are made aware that the course is not open. It is obviously disappointing to hear this news and we will now consider options for the future running of the golf course.”
Shelley Powell, cabinet member for communities at Knowsley Council, which stepped into rescue Bowring Park Golf Course, said: “It was a total shock when the course suddenly closed. It was really important for the council to do everything we could to get the course back open as soon as possible, so I’m delighted to be able to confirm that we’ve done just that. We are going to tender for a permanent operator for the course, and I’m sure it will prove an attractive proposition for the right operator.”
At present, with the exception of Bowring Park, none of the other clubs have re-opened.