The world of golf has had quite a bit of beef with the aviation industry of late.
Now it’s Edinburgh Airport in the firing line.
On Monday evening and Tuesday morning images of golf bags piled high in the terminal – hours after their owners had reached their destinations – went viral.
The airport was busy after the conclusion of the 150th Open at St Andrews, and it’s clear a large number of people, including tour pros, will be without their clubs for some time.
Obviously my clubs didn’t arrived with me. You must solve this mess @Ryanair @edi_air pic.twitter.com/NFubmgdm9W
— J Fernandez Valdes (@jorgitoFV) July 18, 2022
Many took to social media to blast the airport over the situation, with some passengers reportedly “screamed at” for taking pictures of the stack of bags.
Argentine pro Jorge Fernandez Valdes, who played in the Open at St Andrews, tagged both the airport and airline Ryanair and said: “Obviously my clubs didn’t arrive with me. You must sort this mess.”
Meanwhile Scotland’s Bradley Neil, who was heading to Munich for the Big Green Egg German Challenge on the Challenge Tour, slated the airport in a thread of tweets.
Over 1.5hours late and still sat on runway with @easyJet pilot announcing that around 50% of bags haven’t made it on board. Let’s hope my luck is in🤞 Update to follow when I finally arrive in Munich😂 @EdinburghAirpo1 a disgrace!! https://t.co/zFSLcya4Sm
— Bradley Neil (@BradleyNeil1) July 18, 2022
Branding the situation “a disgrace”, Neil revealed his flight had been on the tarmac an hour and a half after it was due to depart with the pilot admitting only 50% of luggage had been loaded.
After arriving, he confirmed his suitcase had arrived but his clubs had been left behind.
When contacted by bunkered.co.uk, a spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: “Although large amounts of baggage had been anticipated, the volume of golf clubs which required processing was far higher than forecast. This caused a delay in the baggage system yesterday and teams worked with handling agents to resolve the issue.
Scenes from Edinburgh Airport today seconds before I got screamed at… pic.twitter.com/xSX1lMmQcr
— Jackson Schlemmer (@BritInThePNW) July 18, 2022
“Measures were put in place to rectify the situation and while all bags have now been processed, unfortunately some items will be delayed arriving to their final destination.
“We are working with handling agents and airlines to help them repatriate bags with their owners. We thank passengers for their patience during what are challenging times for the entire aviation industry, and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”