In the wake of golfnews24 editor Mark Flanagan’s special investigation into the events leading up to Beacon Park’s closure announcement, local resident Marcus Hart emailed to have his say.
First of all may I say what an excellent article you have written regarding Beacon Park Golf Course in Skelmersdale. I thought I would forward my views on the foreseeable course closure.
My background is that I have been a regular dog walker on the course for the best part of 30 years. I was previously a golfer who has played the course at least 20 times when I was younger but gave up due to not being very good. I have interacted many times with golfers, other dog walkers and golfing staff on a regular basis, both on and off the course.
My thoughts are that the course is in a superb location with a vast array of challenging and easier holes and in my opinion would be the envy of many private or public courses throughout the country. The views from the course are spectacular whatever time of day and provide a fantastic backdrop to golfers and walkers alike. The current groundstaff have improved the course no end, the course is unrecognisable from Covid lockdown due to their skill and dedication in course management. This is despite having to contend with landfill areas on the original 1st, 10th, 17th and 18th holes as well as the original practice area.
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The golf club has had many challenges to contend with which have contributed to the decision to close the course. The club no longer has a driving range which was in use on a regular basis but is now a landfill sight which is such a shame. I can remember the club professional and shop where tee-off times could be booked and golf equipment could be bought, now long gone. The practice area used to be used as a private or group lesson area by the club professional. It is now a landfill site.
On course issues include golfers who enter the course at various places and play without paying. I have seen this happen on many occasions which has resulted in lost income for the club. Security notices have been placed at relevant points to deter this however rogue golfers have still used the course on a regular basis. No one on the course is challenged as to whether they have paid or are a member so it can be easy to play without paying.
The course has had to contend with scramble and quad bikes who have been a consistent menace on the course. The scramble bikes on numerous occasions have ruined many greens on the course by deliberately creating circular and zig-zag skid marks. It is only due to the considerable skill of the ground staff that some holes have remained playable due to this. The bikes have been regular unwanted visitors for a few years now and again there is no deterrent from them entering the course.
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In addition I have witnessed the holes being used as a meal/play area. Last summer on one of the greens a group of around 20 had a barbecue in the afternoon on the church hole green which left burn marks on the green while on another hole a couple were having a Chinese takeaway next to the bunker on the green. A family had a bucket and spade in one of the bunkers on another hole while another family was having a picnic on one of the fairways. I also saw a stunt man back flipping into the one of the bunkers on the 15th early evening as well as practicing his fluorescent sword routine on the green.
One golfer who I know told me he was just about to play his shot on the 17th when a stolen car went flying past him on the fairway and ended up in a ditch on the 16th which I saw the next day. There was a lads football match on the fourth green during the school holidays. There have also been rogue golfers practicing on the course playing holes from green to tee, ie the other way round. A couple of years ago the trees next to course on the original first hole were deliberately set on fire to cause as much damage as possible, it was only the intervention of the fire brigade which prevented this.
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My overriding view is that the course has been prepared brilliantly and the best way possible by the ground staff in the morning/early afternoon each day and then it can become a bit of a free for all later on in the day as there is no one to deter what transpires after that. The ground staff at times have had to contend with these issues on a daily basis and deserve a massive amount of credit as they haven’t known from day to day what condition the course will be in.
The incidents as described may not be representative of the overall course usage but do highlight what has happened with the bikes being the main consistent threat to the course.
In addition I can recall there being a ‘mud road’ on the first hole for a number of years. This was an uphill track used by dumper trucks / diggers etc to transport landfill to its required location. The end of this road was at the first hole and it looked like a heavy duty motorway building site, not exactly the most inviting place to start your round of golf. This then became one of the infamous landfill sites with the second hole moved to bring the first and the par five 18th being split into two holes to ensure an 18-hole course.
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I just think it’s very sad that a golf course with so much potential due to its location/recent magnificent course management is having to close due to the council’s decision based on club/course mismanagement over a number of years.
I can fully understand the members frustrations and would imagine it would be hard to come across a golf club anywhere else that has faced all these issues.