The nine hole golf course and driving range at Inchmarlo in Aberdeenshire has been rescued from closure and will reopen on 1st April.
The Royal Deeside course was placed in provisional liquidation last month and accountancy firm KPMG was appointed to look after the affairs of course owner Inchmarlo Golf Centre Ltd.
Now Inchmarlo Land Company Ltd, (ILC) majority owned by Banchory land owing family Burnett of Leys, has stepped in to rescue the vital sporting and community facility, which also has a close association with 42 holiday villas close to the course.
ILC is in discussions with a view to re-employing some of the 25 Inchmarlo Golf Centre staff who were made redundant by the liquidator.
The new owners have held an initial talk with some committee members of Inchmarlo Golf Club who are expected to call an Extraordinary General Meeting which will include discussing the continuation of the club as a nine hole course club (The Queen’s Course).
ILC plans to meet with owners of the holiday villas to determine what facilities can be provided to support continued operation as holiday lets.
James Burnett, director of Inchmarlo Land Company Ltd, said: “For more than 20 years Inchmarlo Golf Course has been an important part of the sporting and leisure infrastructure of Royal Deeside.
“We have acted as quickly as possible to reach an agreement with the provisional liquidator to purchase the assets of Inchmarlo Golf Centre Ltd which will see the nine hole Queen’s Course and driving range reopen for business on April 1.
“The important message for golf club members is that golfing at Inchmarlo will continue and we intend to restore and improve the Queen’s Course and maintain it to the desired and expected standards.
“We understand this has been an extremely distressing time for staff employed at the golf course who lost their jobs. We are currently employing five of the 30 staff and that may change according to the scale and nature of the work required.”
ILC may shortly be seeking discussions with caterers regarding the provision of food and beverage services at the Queen’s Course and driving range.
The 18 hole Laird’s Course is not owned by Inchmarlo Land Company and is therefore not part of the rescue deal.
Inchmarlo Golf Course www.inchmarlo.com