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The increase in users comes amid a decline in the number of municipal greens across Scotland, which now represent just 10% of the country’s golf courses. In 2023 both Palacerigg and Lochview were among 39 North Lanarkshire community facilities under threat of closure due to council budget constraints, but those plans were eventually reversed.

Mr Kelly believes the key to the success of the golf facilities is in large part down to serving the communities they were designed for.

You must be pleased with these kinds of numbers?

Yes, it’s been great to see so many people of all backgrounds and abilities benefiting from the wonderful facilities we have here in North Lanarkshire. I’m not saying we’re not facing problems because everybody is, but we are continuing to grow, being a destination for more golfers now than ever before.

Most people start at facilities like these to find out if they like golf, and in the past if they did they would play for a year or so before moving on elsewhere. But now a lot of people just stay with us because of the services we provide. We have qualified golf tutors, we have all the machines that other private courses have, so the time that some people are staying with us now is much longer than 10 years ago.

What is driving that trend?

It could be because people are questioning spending £1,000 or more for a membership when they can get it at a fraction of that price from us, and we are arguably just as good.

The clubhouse at Palacerigg (Image: North Lanarkshire Council)

I think many people can still afford private golf courses, but they are having to work longer hours to get that money, so there’s less of a chance to play. Maybe a few years ago they would have played 40 or 50 rounds a year and they’re only getting 20 now, so it’s more value for money in this area to join Lochview or Palacerigg, and they still get the same facilities that they get at a private golf course – they still get medals, they still get handicaps, they still get a bar, a restaurant, and all that stuff that you would normally associate with a private golf club.

How do you balance demand from members of Palacerigg Golf Club and Coatbridge Golf Club at Lochview against serving the pay-and-play golfers?

We allocate tee times to the clubs and they run their competitions. If they need more tee times we give them more, and if it’s quiet they hand them back, so it works pretty good.

The more time the clubs get, the less there is for the public and pay as you play. We try to look at it long-term overall. The more people play and the more people who have a handicap and stay with us, that’s a long-term strategy as opposed to the quick £20 for a game of golf this Saturday.

Lochview Family Golf Centre (Image: North Lanarkshire Council)

Can you explain a little more about the set-up?

We work with the clubs, as opposed to against them. The internal clubs that we have here, we meet with them all the time, we keep them up-to-date with communication, we work with them to help promote their side of things.

We meet with the committees of both clubs on a monthly basis and we tell them what’s happening and we ask for their opinion, and they give us input to the direction on where the golf courses and the facilities should be going, because they are the ones using them.

But as you mentioned before, there are still challenges?

Yes, there will always been challenges but it’s a reflection of our commitment to accessibility and community inclusion. Golf should be for everyone, and our season ticket options ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to enjoying the game.

The fact that our membership has doubled over the past five years is a strong indicator that this inclusive approach is working — not only are we growing, but we’re building a loyal and diverse golfing community while staying true to our values.

Access the entire series of Around the Greens here.