Guest Article by Andrew Terry of Link Golf UK
Public golf in the UK has long been the gateway into the game. For generations, municipal courses have been where juniors first picked up a club, families played together and aspiring golfers learned without pressure, strict rules or financial barriers. Yet in recent years many of these facilities have faced an uncertain future, squeezed by rising operating costs, falling participation and diminishing local authority subsidies.
One UK operator is challenging the idea that municipal golf is destined to decline. Link Golf UK has grown from a single, threatened council course into the fastest growing public golf operator in the country with a model built on accessibility, sustainability and quality.
Its origins, however, are deeply personal.
Where it All Began
I grew up in Heywood, a small town next to Rochdale. Like many people in the area, my introduction to golf came not through a private club but at the local municipal Marland Golf Course.
Link Golf UK Co-Founder Joe Jackson played there with his grandad and I played with my dad. Neither of us had the latest equipment or the “right” golf clothes and none of that mattered. Marland was accessible, welcoming and unpretentious. It was where everyone learned to play golf locally.
That shared experience shaped both of us.
After leaving school, Joe and I went our separate ways. Joe went to college and then university and then began a career working in the financial industry. I was fortunate to get a job as the assistant professional at Marland. I spent the next 15 years working in the shop, coaching golfers of all abilities and playing competitively. Marland wasn’t just where I learned the game, it’s where I learned the business of golf from the ground up.
In 2015, I left to become Head PGA Professional at Whitefield Golf Club, where I spent four seasons. But in late 2018, rumours began circulating that Rochdale Borough Council was considering closing Marland. The course was reportedly losing around £200,000 a year and ongoing council subsidies were becoming increasingly hard to justify.
For Joe and I, that wasn’t just a business problem – it felt personal.
Taking a Chance on Marland
We approached Rochdale Borough Council with a proposal to save the course. Initially, we were told it simply wasn’t viable. The losses were too large, the risk too great.
But we persisted.
Eventually, the council agreed to give us a chance. In April 2019, we took over the operation of Marland Golf Course.
What followed was a combination of community support, relentless effort and a clear division of strengths. Joe’s background in finance complemented my experience in golf operations, coaching and revenue generation. We stripped out unnecessary overheads, focused heavily on marketing, particularly social media and engaged the local community.
By autumn 2019, Marland was no longer a failing asset. It was sustainable.
From One Course to a National Opportunity
Later that same year, one of the UK’s largest golf operators, Mack Trading, went into administration, leaving 11 courses without an operator. One of those was Heaton Park Golf Course in Manchester.
Manchester City Council had heard about the turnaround at Marland and approached us to see if we would be interested in taking on Heaton Park. In February 2020, we took over the operation and Link Golf UK was born.
That moment changed everything.
Since then, the business has expanded rapidly. Between 2024 and 2025, Link Golf UK added:
Stanley Park Golf Course (Blackpool) Tapton Park Golf Course (Chesterfield) Derby Golf Course Middlesbrough Municipal Golf Course London Airlinks
Each site came with its own challenges, but the principles remained the same: create a sustainable operation, raise standards, remove barriers to entry and reconnect golf with its local community.
Reimagining Municipal Golf Standards
Municipal golf has often suffered from a reputation for poor conditions. Changing that perception has been central to Link Golf UK’s approach.
Two years ago, we appointed Jared Ellison as Group Course Manager. Jared is one of the most respected figures in UK greenkeeping and his attention to detail has significantly raised standards across the group.
There has been a heavy focus on greens in particular, including regular aeration, topdressing, feeding, scarifying, micro-tining and long term maintenance planning. The results have been transformational not just visually, but in playability and customer satisfaction.
Affordable golf does not have to mean compromised standards. That belief sits at the heart of the Link Golf UK model.
Community, Juniors And The Next Generation
If facilities are to survive, they must be used and used by a broad section of society.
One of the things Link Golf UK is proudest of is its commitment to junior and community golf. Across all venues, children aged 16 and under can play golf for free. We also provide weekly free coaching sessions with all equipment supplied.
Beyond that, we work closely with local schools, charities and community groups, welcoming people who may never have considered golf accessible to them. These initiatives don’t just grow participation, they give public golf courses a renewed sense of purpose.
Our ambition is to introduce 10,000 new golfers to the game in 2026, through free taster sessions, beginner programmes and equipment support.
Technology And The Modern Golf Experience
Commercial sustainability also requires innovation.
Link Golf UK has invested in TrackMan Range technology, most notably at Tapton Park and Middlesbrough Municipal. Accurate ball-tracking, interactive games and skills challenges have dramatically improved the driving range experience, particularly for beginners and juniors.
Alongside this, Link Golf UK has focused on creating food and beverage offers that genuinely work for public golf. Our clubhouse environments are welcoming and informal with affordable, good quality food and drink available seven days a week, from early morning through to late evening.
Crucially, the offer is designed to be commercially sustainable, ensuring consistent service for customers while supporting the long term viability of each facility. By streamlining menus, improving operational efficiency and aligning opening hours with customer demand, food and beverage has become an important part of creating lively, well used venues rather than an afterthought.
Behind the scenes, we are also investing in automation and efficiency including robotic ball collection systems and the use of AI to streamline administration and operations.
Removing Barriers, Supporting The Wider Game
My personal philosophy has been shaped by time spent in both public and private golf.
I’ve always felt that many private members’ clubs want new members but only if they are “oven-ready”: already knowledgeable, already confident, already equipped. Dress codes, pricing structures and unspoken rules can be intimidating barriers for newcomers.
Public golf should exist to bridge that gap.
What we’ve created at Link Golf UK is a place where people can learn to love golf before deciding whether they want to move into club life. We actively support that journey and many of our beginners go on to join private clubs once they feel confident and established.
In that sense, municipal golf doesn’t compete with the wider ecosystem it strengthens it.
A Viable Future For Public Golf
With operating costs continuing to rise, local authorities and leisure trusts are under increasing pressure to decide the future of their golf assets.
Link Golf UK believes there is another option besides closure.
By combining commercial realism with community purpose, high standards with accessibility and tradition with modern thinking, public golf courses can thrive.
For Joe and I, this journey started on a council course in Rochdale. The ambition now is to ensure that future generations have the same opportunity we did: to discover golf in an environment that is welcoming, affordable and full of possibility.
Public golf matters and it’s worth saving.
For more information, please visit https://linkgolfuk.com/.