{"id":610082,"date":"2026-05-29T10:02:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T10:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/610082\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T10:02:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T10:02:08","slug":"troon-welbeck-backs-its-council-season-ticket-model-for-golf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/610082\/","title":{"rendered":"Troon Welbeck backs its council season ticket model for golf"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Troon Welbeck<\/a> is an unusual hybrid in South Ayrshire: a member\u2011run club with its own clubhouse, bar and a busy competition schedule, but no course of its own.\n<\/p>\n

\n Instead, members pay around \u00a3275 in club fees and then buy a separate South Ayrshire Council<\/a> season ticket \u2013 ranging from \u00a3495 to \u00a3616, with concessions \u2013 that gives access to eight municipal courses across the region, including the Lochgreen, Darley and Fullarton layouts used regularly by Welbeck.\n<\/p>\n

\n That arrangement gives members year\u2011round links golf at a comparatively modest cost, but also exposes the golf club to council decisions on tee\u2011time access and pricing. Yet club secretary Graham McAra, a member for 31 years, stresses that Troon<\/a> Welbeck still sees itself as a well\u2011run, positive club working with the council where it can to maintain the backbone of public links golf in Ayrshire.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"Around(Image: Damian Shields)\n<\/p>\n

\n You have no course of your own and cannot charge green fees, so where does the club\u2019s revenue come from?\n<\/p>\n

\n We drive income by getting members to join and by running social events. At the weekend we had a quiz night, and\u00a0 we have games nights. When we have our open competitions, we invite players up to the clubhouse, we provide them with refreshments, and we can put on a buffet for some of them if they want.\n<\/p>\n

\n We try to cover the cost of the lease \u2013 our rent \u2013 from members’ fees, and the income we get from the bar is there to subsidise other things that we do.\n<\/p>\n

\n How would you describe the relationship with the local council?\n<\/p>\n

\n We have a good working relationship with South Ayrshire Council and Golf South Ayrshire<\/a> which benefits all parties. With regard to agreeing fixtures, we give Golf<\/a> South Ayrshire a list of our competitions annually, as the other clubs do, and we work with them for our open and members-only club competitions.\n<\/p>\n

\n What changed after Covid around tee times, and how has that affected the club?\n<\/p>\n

\n We used to have reserved tee times, and we paid money for them \u2013 it was not free \u2013 on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays but our agreement for this was not renewed by South Ayrshire Council and due to this our membership suffered.\n<\/p>\n

\n Like a lot of clubs the council and the Troon Links<\/a> municipal golf complex use the BRS booking system<\/a> which is fine during the summer, but has its restrictions during the winter months. That has curtailed a lot of members as well.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"TroonClub secretary Graham McAra says Troon Welbeck is the only municipal-based members’ club in the area with its own clubhouse (Image: Supplied)\n<\/p>\n

\n You have strong views on how the council balances members and visitors. What do you see happening there?\n<\/p>\n

\n Public, council\u2011run links cannot survive on members alone. They have to bring visitors in, and that is where they say they get most of their revenue. They are charging \u00a350 a round for Lochgreen and Darley in the summer. If you have a visitor coming down ten times a year, that is \u00a3500.\n<\/p>\n

\n As season ticket holders we pay between \u00a3495 for a five-day ticket and \u00a3616 for an ordinary ticket which allows you to play\u00a0seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. When you think about it, who is the most profitable to the council?\n<\/p>\n

\n You can understand why they are doing it, but for the good of club golfers it is not ideal, and you do find members struggling to get a game at busy times because visitors are playing.\n<\/p>\n

\n Given that, why are you still optimistic about Welbeck\u2019s future \u2013 and about this model?\n<\/p>\n

\n Let us just say we are a very positive club, a very successful club.\n<\/p>\n

\n Like every other club we have the same issues \u2013 membership and age demographics \u2013 but all in all Welbeck is a well\u2011run, well\u2011supported club. We enjoy playing over the courses, we get our competition times, and we have a great relationship with South Ayrshire.\n<\/p>\n

\n When you look at it as \u00a3275 for Welbeck plus a\u00a0 seven-day season ticket, so you are at about \u00a3890 with eight courses you can play over. Compare that with a private club at \u00a31,100 for one course, it is a value\u2011for\u2011money argument.\n<\/p>\n

\n All we ask is for members to come down, play their golf, and enjoy themselves. From where I am sitting, that is still a very good deal.\n<\/p>\n

\n Click here to sign up for The Herald’s Business of Golf newsletter, out every Sunday.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

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