A West London golf course is set to close temporarily as council chiefs grapple with dwindling player numbers and mounting financial pressures.
Uxbridge Golf Course will shut its doors on Tuesday 14 January, with staff relocating to the nearby Haste Hill facility, Hillingdon Council has announced. The closure comes amid falling attendance at both venues over the past year, exacerbated by poor weather conditions.
Despite recent fee increases and substantial council investment, both courses have continued to operate at a significant loss, requiring ongoing taxpayer subsidies to stay afloat.
Councillor Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Community and Environment said: “We’re very proud as a local authority to be in the unique position of owning several golf courses as part of Hillingdon’s great leisure offer for residents. However, with increasing pressures on council finances, staffing, maintaining and running these courses is a significant taxpayer subsidy for a service used by relatively few, so it is an unsustainable position.
The council is now actively seeking specialist operators to take over the facilities, following an initial search conducted last year. If no suitable operator is found, Haste Hill could also face temporary closure.
“As part of our continued drive to deliver value for money services, we are actively seeking a specialist golf operator that will have the expertise that we do not have to provide a more tailored offer that best works for everyone,” the councillor added.
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