Poor upkeep at Meole Brace Golf Club is a handicap
Monday 14th June 2010, 11:30AM BST.
Even the superstars of the golfing world would struggle to get around this Shropshire golf course with its leaf-strewn fairways, its sand-less bunkers, its litter problems and its greens plagued by divots.
The poor upkeep of the Meole Brace Golf Club, in Shrewsbury, has proved something of a real handicap for the area’s golfers who have now set up a comical Facebook group in order to vent their frustration.
A photo album attached to the ‘Annoyed with the goings-on at Meole Brace Golf Course’ group shows golfers lining up to race across greens, which resemble Olympic-style tracks with long, deep rivets.
Further images show smatterings of rubbish, patchy tees, tree branches on fairways and more leaves in the bunkers than sand.
Regular player Ian Pritchard, from Meole Brace, said upkeep of the Shropshire Council owned course had got progressively worse in the last two years.
He said: “I play about three times a week and the standard of the course has gone rapidly downhill. It is virtually unplayable.
“People pay to play but the cost has gone up from £9 to £11. I can remember having to book a tee time but now I just turn up because no-one is ever there. I also run a golf league and usually at this time of year more than 100 cards have been handed in, but this year I have only received 20.
Ian, who is a train planner for Network Rail, has been playing golf regularly at the course for almost 10 years.
He believes poor upkeep may have a more sinister explanation. He added: “There is a serious side to this and think this is being done on purpose to suit the council. A drop in users is what they want to sell the course and if there is no demand they might not have to build another course.”
Gareth Proffitt, Shropshire Council spokesman, confirmed the golf course was being considered for residential and commercial development. Consultation for this ends on June 25.
To see plans and for details ring 0345 678 9016 or log on at www.shropshire.gov.uk/planning.nsf
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this is a disgrace – it was previously promised to save this valuable green lung for our town
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If ever a spokesman had a more befitting name!! It’s quite obvious that the course is being intentionally driven towards extinction through neglect. A nod and a wink over the gin and tonics and another wonderful urban green space goes under concrete for ever.
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i dont play there so i cant comment on the greens etc but i walk the dog there and the litter and dogs mess is definately much worse since the county council took over, i think they should let the town council have it instead they would do a much better job it was much better run by SABC
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why shouldn’t golf course be turned into housing estates most of the fields where kid played footy have been.
i should imagine the powers that be can afford to be members of exclusive golf courses where they don’t mix with normal working people
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its a municipal course what do you expect tiger flipping woods come on these people can pay £5000 a year for a private club if they prefer! this is for beginners – get over it
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like the rubbish and recycling too, it was all better when sabc did it, shropshire council has been an abject failure and put my tax up too to subisdise over spending regimes in south shropshrie and oswestry who enjoyed a freeze, no wonder so many people voted against this
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this must not be allowed – the town needs green space within the town for people who cannot drive to access rural walking routes
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Absolutely Mr.Bear. What the hell are a few individuals who are doing ‘very nicely thank-you’ to our grandchildren’s future?
Belle Vue, Meole and Hereford Road and all like minded Shrewsbury folk should be appalled and angered at this seedy done deal.
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over my dead body
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I too have played the golf course for many years and the comments made would be acceptable last year when improvements to the greens were overdue. This season there have been no closures due to waterlogging and I can only pass on remarks made by my brother and friends who regularly play at municipal courses in West Midlands in that it is the best kept course with the best greens that they play and that included pay and play courses.Much disruption has been caused by the demolition of the link bridge which has taken an age to repair
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Well said Dave.I’ve been playing at Meole Golf Course for 15 years or more and agree with everything you say.
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hear hear it is all about profit, they are doing this deliberately , classic tactic, run it into the ground then sell it cheap to their developer chums they did it with the BT and BA and the trains too
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The sad fact is….Some of our council tax is probaly paying some underworked council officer to oversee the maintenence of this golf course…why isn’t that person being brought to task or sacked, if they are failing in their duties?
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Are you sure you know where this golf course is??
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I’ve heard that UK Coal are planning to do some test drilling there, to the west of the proposed landfill site……
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dave hewitt poor coments considering your a member
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yet another service that has gone down hill since shropshrie council took over from SABC, im seeing a trend emerging here
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i wud defend it, its not exactly pebble beach but by the standards of council parks and local munipal golf courses i think its rather good, compares very well to the one were i used to live in liverpool
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I am afraid that I do not understand the reply from dpar.
There is a CONGU affiliated club which plays at Meole Brace. I am a member of this club. As with every golf club associated with a municipal course members of MBGC have to pay full council green fees and have no input into the running of the course.The main benefit of being a member is having a recognised playing handicap.My observations regarding course condition were made as a golfer not as a member of MBGC.Perhaps dpar would like to clarify his personal coment once he has learned to spell it and have the decency to reveal his true identity.
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I hope you have all seen todays newspaper article that i have done with this paper.
to their credit they have redressed the balance by taking photos of the course as it is today.
They have also published some of my comments.
The course is a fantastic local amenity the club has a mens seniors and womens section, let alone all the members of the public who play there. There are a great group of nice people at Meole Brace Golf course, and urge anyone to come and play.come and see for yourself how good it is.
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i would rather have houses on it than have more houses built in bayston hill, the course is in fatastic condition but for 400 pounds more a year you can join a proper club with a club house etc and you dont bump into players with addidas bottoms and no top on i have even seen people on there playing with a suit !!! if the members love the course so much why dont they repair a bunker each month !thats all the course needs
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anyone wanting to know the truth should come and play at Meole Brace its a fantastic course, in great condition.
there is a new article in todays paper on page 20
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“spencer
June 16, 2010 at 16:32
Are you sure you know where this golf course is??”
I used to drive past it every day, do you want me to tell you where it is and then you could visit and find out some actual facts for yourself.
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I completely agree with Carl Smiths comments.
If those people that moan about the course dont like it, then dont play on it! Im sure that they can afford the expensive fees for a private club and then they have the right to grumble! I personally walk my dog there and always pick up after it, it is not the grounds staff’s responsiblity to do this – its the owners! And yes, litter would not be such a problem on there if there were bins to put it in, but yes, the council took those away, not the grounds staff! If you actually take the time to see the work the staff do, working tirelessly in all weathers, when you ‘fair weather players’ are not there, to maintain and look after what is still only a municipal course you will see what a great course it is to play. The staff are always helpful, polite and try to accomodate the golfers as much as possible. Its a shame that some people such as Dpar dont have the guts to identify themselves and share their opinion honestly, if you dont like it Dpar – then dont play there! Go and spend your cash elsewhere! It hasnt been helped by the lack of clarity from the Shropshire Star by only publishing half a story in response to Mondays article by only the ‘local distribution’ covering the story on Wednesday……what about putting the story right for North and South Shropshire readers too!!!
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in answer to Chris, a lot of our members cannot afford to pay £400 per year to a private golf club. Our club has a record of bringing through youngsters who learn the game at a municipal course and move on to other clubs. But without this course a lot of younger players could not get a start in golf which is what it is all about. My own son is learning to play he is 7. The Staff in the club offer help and advice and go out to local schools to bring kids into the game. Will Shakespeare one of our two club pro’s came through from a beginner and is now a PGA proffesional. He had the skill but its thanks to the fact its a local municipal course and the pro at the course Nigel Bramall saw his talent. Will now teaches fun golf at at least two local state schools. As for the bunkers, we have discussed this at our committee and we are not able to interfere with the councils up keep of the course. The Green keepers do a fine job really.
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Just to mention the photo at the top of this article is at least 15 years old as the pines on the left are now at least 40 ft higher now
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I HAVENET BEEN FOR A FEW MONTHS BUT OBVIOUSLY THE WINTER WAS TOUGH HAS THIS BEEN CONSIDERED?? ITS NORMALLY A BIT SCRUFFY IN PLACES BUT TO BE FAIR TO THEM THE GREENS ARE ALWAYS FINE WHICH IS THE MAIN THING IF THE REST OF THE PLACE IS ROUGH WELL THATS GOOD FOR THE SKILLS
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i dont play golf but like thousands of others i use this for walking the dog (and i clean up after it!) and i think this is too valuable a space to lose
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i think the whole course needs investment, golfs really popular now and with the elderly population of retirees in shropshire its ideal gentle exercise despite its elite reputation you can get a set of clubs for £20 on ebay and play for peanuts, its for everyone now, all can play all levels and this course is a great entry level for beginners, i would support limited rationalisation of assets, not selling it off, but perhaps if some of the land, just a couple of plots even, just one or two houses, or perhaps the pithc and put practice area which alone could accomodate a small leisure centre, that would be enough to invest in more facilities, also why is the driving range in monkmoor but the course in meole, bring them together for economies of scale, joined up thinking and all that, the greens are OK, but i agree the comments they get water logged sometimes and there are parts which need litter and graffiti removed, under that bridge bit, i think the past council has talked about another Sports Village and I would support this here, with golf as the lead sport, but you have the swimming baths at bannetynes already, and the footie club with the practice pitches there, lets get some more sports up there, there is land by sutton farm would be ideal and one thing i would love to see in shropshrie is some kind of Go Ape / Mountain biking trail combination like they have at Coed-y-Brenin in Snowdonia attracting sports tourists from all over.
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grass cutting good, litter picking could be improved, give them a break hey it was under snow for a month!!
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