Renishaw Park Golf Club in South Yorkshire has closed after its current owner said it was no longer ‘financially sustainable’.
The club has said that falling membership and regular closures caused by flooding of the adjacent River Rother had made it impossible to continue to keep the 112-year-old club open.
The Sheffield-based club, which was founded in 1911, hosted its final rounds under its current ownership on December 3.
The venue has now closed and been put up for sale, resulting in the loss of 11 jobs, including that of club secretary Andy Smith, who was also a member of the club for over 30 years.
A statement from Renishaw Hall & Gardens, which runs the Sitwell Estate where the club is located, said: “The club has been struggling in recent years due to a decline in memberships, together with course issues caused by the increased frequency of flooding, and its operation is no longer sustainable. We are working closely with the club on a managed handover and the estate is relieving the club and the trustees of their liabilities.”
Club members are understood to have rallied round and pledged almost £20,000 to try and keep the club open over the winter, but their efforts were in vain, with the club issuing a statement saying that all avenues to continue operating the club had been exhausted.
A club statement sent in an email to members read: “The money offered is not sufficient to see us through the winter months and present a viable business plan. With this in mind we are respectfully declining the very kind offers made and will not be using your money to prop up the club for the next couple of months with no future beyond.”