Municipal golf course plan sparks fury

Jun 18 2009 by Paul Dale, Birmingham Mail

Coun Mullaney added: “All of these ideas are up for discussion and I want to know what people think.”

But the plan also provoked an angry reaction from Steve McCabe, Labour MP for Hall Green.

“Golf is a healthy and socially inclusive activity and the fact Birmingham City Council can’t manage its courses is a sad state of affairs,” he said.

“I’m amazed he’s got the temerity to come in to this job and propose this in a couple of weeks without looking at all the options.”

And Edgbaston Golf Club’s professional player Jamie Cundy blamed the council’s “lack of investment” in golf courses for the decline in the use of municipal courses.

He said: “They don’t spend enough money on facilities, the club houses are a disgrace and many courses are in pretty bad condition.”

Mr Cundy said many private courses still had high memberships and had attracted a wider audience, especially women, to the traditional 18-hole game.