Cairdy golf hasn’t had a fair rub of the green. I’ll tell you exactly why.
Responsibility for municipal courses was transferred from Dundee City Council (DCC) to Leisure and Culture Dundee (LCD), but it was never a “fair do”.
The transfer came with unrealistic income targets and unsuitable equipment (legend has it this included a horse-drawn grass cutting machine!)
With so much equipment to purchase or lease, even breaking even was always close to impossible.
But, importantly, the cost of the grounds, and maintenance/greenkeeping, was all set against golf at LCD.
Compare that to grounds maintenance at the Regional Performance Centre, which I believe sits with DCC; and maintenance and energy costs at Olympia, the McManus and the Central Library – all met by DCC.
It’s unfair on golf, where all costs are on the LCD account, when compared to other facilities and services.
Why are they effectively subsidised but golf isn’t?
But no one tells you any of that. They hope you are stupid, can’t do research, or won’t think to make a comparison.
So, councillors, why does DCC cover other venues’ costs but not Cairdy?
‘Examine every penny the council spends’
There are other questions.
There is a statutory duty regarding leisure provision, as per the Local Government and Planning (Scotland) Act 1982.
By making golf a wholly private concern for Dundonians, surely that duty is being breached?
How do you answer that, councillors?
Also, when Camperdown was closed, everyone was left with the impression Cairdy was saved [Plans to for a driving range never materialised, with LCD chief Judy Dobbie blaming the Covid pandemic – an excuse branded “a load of rubbish” by Caird Park Golf Club captain Ian Gordon].
And what a sham the consultation was – the results were completely ignored.
It now becomes entirely fair and relevant to examine every penny the council spends, on any project, and to ask is that more important than Caird Park golf?
The Magdalen Green footbridge could, as one example, be postponed a few years.
That could save Cairdy Golf forever.
And £100,000 on sculptures for Broughty Esplanade – is that a better use of money?
Or £190,000 for lights shining on the Caird Hall?
Golf is better for the city than those things.
‘Ordinary Dundonians, easy to ignore’
Golfers, Dundee City Council has failed you. You clearly aren’t arty enough, green enough or cultural enough to bother with.
You are just ordinary Dundonians. Not important. Easy to ignore.
Watch the council meeting on YouTube. Look at the blithe unconcern of councillors arguing to take away your golf course.
“Naturalised grasses” are more important than your healthy exercise, it seems.
All this again shows that party politics at local government level is failing us.
When it comes to general elections, vote for your party and good luck to you.
Cairdy surely isn’t a party issue – yet the vote split on party lines.
No one in the ruling SNP group stepped out of line. Not an original thinker among them, not one with an individual view.
I despise that cowardice.
Very clearly, these councillors did what their party told them to do, not what you told them (in the consultation) to do.
Dundee needs independent councillors who’ll do what’s best for their town, not their party – government of Dundee by Dundee for Dundee.
Conversation