Guernsey States lends £815k for golf course irrigation system

A new irrigation system is needed at the golf course

The States has lent more than £800,000 to a company to help pay for works at a Guernsey golf course.

The money will go towards replacing the irrigation system at the private L'Ancresse golf course.

Court documents show that a total of £815,000 has been loaned to a company called Golf Club Management (GCM) from the Active 8, A Plan for Sport, scheme.

GCM said the work would help maintain "a championship-standard course for Guernsey".

The Active 8 scheme offers sports clubs "affordable" loans for capital projects.

Colin Thorburn, from Sport and Culture, said: "An application was received by Golf Course Management, the company with responsibility for maintaining the L'Ancresse golf course, for a sports loan to part-fund the replacement of the golf course's irrigation system.

"This equipment, which was originally installed more than 40 years ago, was costing disproportionate amounts of money to maintain and repair."Given the significant number of playing members of the two L'Ancresse clubs, with the course being played on almost every day of the year by local members and guests, and the important role it plays in tourism with its ability to host prestigious events as the only championship standard course in Guernsey, the loan application met the provisions agreed by the States."

Golf Club Management (GCM) said it applied through a sports loan programme "for a partial loan to assist with the capital expenditure required to replacing a very old and ineffective irrigation system".

It said; "GCM is required to maintain a championship-standard course for Guernsey under the agreement which allows golf to be played at L'Ancresse.

"This new irrigation system will enable GCM to do this, along with the ecology work that is necessary in maintaining a golf course."