The leader of Perth and Kinross Council took a swipe at counterparts in his neighbouring authority as he announced fresh investment at an historic Fair City golf course.
Referring to the recent controversy over the closure of the Camperdown course, Conservative councillor Murray Lyle said his council was supporting local fairways “unlike colleagues in Dundee”.
Mr Lyle, who was heavily involved in hosting the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in September, spoke out at a meeting of the Perth Common Good Fund.
Members heard £117,000 of reclaimed VAT would help to pay for a much-needed new starter’s box at the North Inch course.
“I’d like to congratulate officers on their work to recover the VAT which has allowed us to go ahead with this,” said Mr Lyle.
“I think the golf course is an important asset for Perth going forward and it’s good to see that we are investing in that asset for the future.
“It sends the message that unlike our colleagues in Dundee, we are supportive of golf courses in Perth.”
The Camperdown course will be axed next year following a vote by Dundee councillors in August. They were presented with a report that showed player numbers had plummeted and closure would save hundreds of thousands of pounds.
A new nine-hole course and driving range at Caird Park golf course will be created in an effort to compensate for the loss.
The move has been roundly criticised. More than 1,300 people have signed a petition calling on the council to reverse the decision and the BBC’s “voice of golf”, commentator Peter Allis is among those who have spoken out, saying Scotland’s public golf courses deserved to be protected.
The North Inch course in Perth has been undergoing a transformation over the last five years.
The council’s senior greenspace officer Jenny Williams said: “It has once again become a busy, vibrant golf course.
“Considerable progress has been achieved in making golf as accessible as possible to the people of Perth and Kinross.”
She said the tired starter’s box has been in need of an upgrade for some time, but there had not been money to restore it.
A temporary facility was trialled at the Perth Artisan Clubhouse, but members said they preferred a new one at the original location.
The new timber-clad centre will make the site more attractive to golfers, offering them a comfortable and accessible place to meet up before games.
Perth and Kinross Council hope the move will encourage more youngsters to take up the sport.
SNP councillor John Rebbeck welcomed the project, which is due to begin before the new golf season.
“The North Inch golf course is a great asset to Perth and Perthshire, and an historical one at that,” he said.
Golfing on the North Inch dates back to the late 19th Century. Earlier this year, Perth and Kinross Council was criticised by charities for increasing entry fees.
