A row has blown up over the dwindling opportunities for local golfers to use the Carnoustie course which hosted last year’s Open Championship.
The local council has struck a deal with the owners of the newly developed Golf Course Hotel which enables visitors to be allocated a certain number of tee-times.
But that has angered players who regularly used the course, with claims that the hotel has bought up to six hours of tee times every day, leaving around 200 people living in Carnoustie unable to obtain a season ticket to play on the course.
Carnoustie was built by residents in 1890 and, despite the title deed being handed over to the local authority, a gentlemen’s agreement remained that the course still belonged to the townspeople.
Local golfer Dave McNicoll said: “There could be up to 20 golfers vying for the same tee-off time which is ridiculous. Before this agreement was made, working out visitor and local playing times was done without any trouble.”
Carnoustie Golf Links Management Committee executive chairman John Martin denied visitors were favoured ahead of local golfers, adding: “Only around 20 per cent of links management committee revenue comes from local golfers. The rest comes from visitors.”