Leicester municipal golf course closure angers players

Course users said they had submitted a business plan to take over the running of Western Park

A 105-year-old golf course in Leicester has closed as the city council looks to save £90m by 2018.

The closure of Western Park municipal golf club will save the authority £123,000 a year.

Councillors say they could only save either Western Park or Humberstone Heights as part of the review into the cost of sporting provision in the city.

But golfers said they are angry their business plan was ignored by city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby.

Sir Peter had said sports centres in the city costs the authority about £1.70 per visit to subsidise, but the cost for a single visit to its golf sites was between £3.60 and £7.

'Emotionally upsetting'

Course users, who walked the course for the last time on Saturday, had submitted a plan to take over the running of the club but it was rejected by the council.

Hugh Linden, the last ever captain said: "It's sad that we did put a business plan to the mayor but his response was that basically it wouldn't work.

"It's quite emotionally upsetting".

The decision to close Western Park will save the council £123,000 a year in subsidies

Peggy Rimmington from the Leicestershire and Rutland County Golf Partnership said she was "disappointed" by the decision to close the course.

"It takes 900 calories to walk round a golf course, it keeps you fit, it keeps you healthy and I'm disappointed" she said.

"In the city there's just going to be one public golf course."

In a statement, a spokesman for Leicester City Council said: "We considered factors such as the club membership, facilities and future financial viability in reaching the decision to close Western Park and invest in Humberstone Heights to safeguard its future.

"It was clear that for either of the city council-run golf courses to have a future, it would have to be at the expense of the other."