How Buchanan Castle received a grant to build a driving range
5th January, 2012 by Emma Williams
About a year ago Buchanan Castle Golf Club in the banks of Loch Lomond opened an all-weather floodlit driving range, featuring eight regular bays as well as a double teaching bay. Not an uncommon story perhaps, but what was interesting about it was two-fold; firstly, the driving range, which includes a state-of-the-art video system to aid the coaching, plus its own washroom and internal seating area, is as modern as any you will find in the UK. Secondly, the club only paid half of the £187,000 the range cost – the rest was met by a lottery grant.
This was because, in a bid to open golf to more people, sportscotland’s Sports Facilities Fund donated £93,500 to the club, ensuring the range plays a key role in Buchanan Castle’s active partnership with clubgolf, Scotland’s national junior golf development programme. To mark this development, pupils from the local Buchanan Primary School were the first to try out the new facility.
The club, which has set up an ‘Academy’ membership scheme that includes access to the range and its nine-hole course, hopes to attract up to 500 youngsters to the range every year, while adult Academy membership, which is available for an annual cost of less than £250, includes a series of lessons in the first year.
Speaking about what he sees as a ground-breaking project model, sportscotland’s chief executive, Stewart Harris, said: “We regularly work in partnership with local authorities but this project is a fantastic example of how we can work together with clubs to develop sport in Scotland. Buchanan Castle Golf Club’s new academy shows how a golf club can become a real asset to the community and we were delighted to invest £93,500 sportscotland lottery funding in the driving range.
“The addition of the range – as well as an academy course – will give golfers of all abilities the year-round facilities they need to progress in the sport. The new facilities, along with the full clubgolf programme, will play a key role in developing golf in the local area and we look forward to seeing more young people taking up the sport.”
clubgolf’s central regional manager, Mandy Martin, revealed that the work the club has done with local schools helped it secure the grant: “Buchanan Castle Golf Club is a great example of how partnership working can provide a facility solution to meet the needs of a growing junior section. Head pro Keith Baxter and his team of assistants and volunteer coaches have built a sustainable junior programme, and at the same time established strong links with the local primary and secondary schools through Active Stirling and the Active Schools.
“sportscotland’s funding of this new practice facility will ensure this programme reaches even more local children and keep their coaching going year round.”
And the club’s general manager, Janet Dawson, added: “We seek to encourage participation at all levels and to work closely with the community in liaison with clubgolf. We offer membership for adults and juniors at all levels and actively seek to promote golf as a family sport. With Academy membership we offer a pathway from complete beginner to established player within a relaxed and friendly environment.”
Another club that is hoping to appeal to non-members in the local community is Cottrell Park GC in Wales, which has invested £120,000 in two golf simulators.
The GPS Surround Proshot simulators, which have replaced 10 of the driving range’s previous 21 bays, feature over 100 courses from around the world as well as technical coaching aids. They have so far been used for coaching and corporate events, and by visitors who have hired them.
General manager Derek Smith said: “These simulators are much more than an all-weather course. They are part of our forward-thinking business model, where we are looking to offer more than just traditional rounds of golf. The simulators’ training facilities benefit our members and visitors because they give our professional coaches more analysis than ever before.”