Golfers at Dundee’s Caird Park have again been left furious after changes to a booking system caused clashes just days before the course reopens.
The Leisure & Culture Dundee rejig means strangers are being booked into the same time slots from Monday.
The organisation has reportedly said data protection laws mean they cannot reveal the names of those they will be playing with.
Usually, golfers book a tee-off time and then invite friends to play with them or play solo.
Michael Tidcombe, treasurer at Caird Park Golf Club, says competitive golfers could be paired with complete novices.
He is adamant no other course would allow such a system.
He said: “It’s absolutely ludicrous.
“They are using the same app for booking things like swimming, football and golf.
“Booking individually online doesn’t work for golf.
“A seasoned golfer could end up playing with someone who can’t get the ball ten yards off the tee.
“It’s a bit of a mess really.”
Complaints
Current Covid-19 rules in Scotland restrict each tee-off time to two people, rather than the four of pre-pandemic days.
That change meant many golfers were missing out.
Leisure & Culture Dundee, which runs Golf Dundee, say they listened to the complaints before making the latest change.
They say they are necessary to ensure golfers are socially-distanced and spread throughout the day, as well as making the course available to as many people as possible.
Some have reported problems with both the website and app, meaning they cannot book at all.
Mr Tidcombe says the club, which is a separate entity from the course, has been inundated with angry members since booking opened on Wednesday evening.
He fears it could cause a further exodus from the club, which lost 22 members last year.
He said: “My phone hasn’t stopped with calls and messages.
“Golf Dundee didn’t consult with us on any of these changes. We would have told them it won’t work.
“I get they want to provide golf for the masses but this club has been here for 100 years.
“I don’t want to criticise them too much because there are some intelligent people working there but they won’t ask for anyone else’s opinion.
“It has caused so many arguments.”
A spokesperson for Leisure & Culture Dundee said: “We have made changes to our booking system after feedback from our members regarding our previous system.
“These changes have been brought in to allow as many of our members as possible to play our courses.
“We are aware that these changes are causing issues for some and we are working on solutions to address this.
“Our booking system is fully functional and has been since relaunching on Wednesday.
“We are aware that some individual members experienced difficulty accessing their accounts and we have been helping them get connected in the past few days.”