Birmingham golf courses may go private
PRIVATE companies could be brought in to turn Birmingham’s loss making municipal golf courses into money spinners, it was revealed today.
Council chief executive Stephen Hughes told a leisure watchdog committee that “nothing could be ruled out” in the bid to reverse what he claimed was a £830,000 budget deficit for the city’s seven golf courses.
The committee heard that the courses are running at a £550,000 loss, and are a further £180,000 behind the expected income target for this year.
Mr Hughes, who is heading a review of the situation, said: “There isn’t a cash mountain of funds to pour into golf, especially when there are so many other services taking priority.
“I don’t think it is acceptable that we run the municipal courses at a £500,000 loss. We need to find a way it can at least break even.
“These courses need significant investment for the future.
“We will have to look at a range of options and do some detailed work with private sector suppliers. It doesn’t have to be wholesale, we could look at innovative solutions.”
He said they would even look at providing council golf on private courses and that “all options will be considered”.
