Carnoustie’s “jewel in the crown” championship golf course has become a battlefield in an increasingly bitter row over local representation in the running of the prestigious links.
As behind the scenes work continues for the 2018 return of the Open Championship to the world-renowned Angus venue, a local councillor has narrowly failed in his attempt to de-throne alliance administration leader Bob Myles from his seat on the links management committee.
Independent David Cheape was backed by ward colleagues Brian Boyd and Mark McDonald in a motion which sought to put only Carnoustie councillors into the elected member slots on the committee which runs the council-owned attraction.
Mr Cheape, who sits on the Carnoustie Golf Links Management Committee (CGLMC) as one of the authority’s two elected member representatives, said the Carnoustie situation was out of step with burghs such as Montrose where only local members sit on the management body.
The alliance administration has been accused of using “petty politics” to keep Mr Myles in the seat, but he rejected the criticism and said that not having the council leader on the committee could be seen as devaluing the status of the prize asset.
At the final full council meeting of 2017 in Forfar, Mr Cheape said he “took umbrage” at any suggestion Carnoustie councillors could not properly represent the town on the links committee.
“I wonder what the leader of the administration can bring to the golf links that local councillors who have local knowledge, as well as the best interests of Angus at their heart, can’t bring.”
SNP councillor Mr McDonald added that as a new councillor he had been “disturbed” by positions on bodies such as the links committee being distributed on “personal or party lines”.
“We should look at the best person and not just the badge they wear,” he said.
Independent councillor Mr Boyd commented: “Frankly, I find the thought that we cannot do the job of representing Carnoustie on the links committee quite insulting.”
Administration councillor Colin Brown said: “The links management committee is responsible for one of the major attractions in this area, namely the championship course, and it has been considered in a different light from other courses to ensure that major championships continue to come to Carnoustie.
“The importance shown to Carnoustie of having a senior member of the administration has been welcomed by the links committee in the past and they have expressed a wish for that to continue.”
Councillor Myles said: “The chairman has said he values the leader of the council being a representative on the management committee.
“I think that sends the correct message over how important Carnoustie is to Angus and would not wish anything to happen to devalue that position.”
A vote to change the representation to only Carnoustie ward members for the two links committee elected member posts was defeated by 13 votes to 12.
