FRASERBURGH
GOLF CLUB CAN'T
AFFORD TO KEEP
SECRETARY-MANAGER

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Fraserburgh Golf Club have dispensed with the services of secretary-manager George Young, pictured right.
Club captain Robert Baird explained that the opening of a new clubhouse last spring had generated some additional income – but not enough to pay the salary of a full-time employee as George was.
“We are very sad to have had to let George go. He is a long-time friend of mine but you have to run a golf club as you would run any other business. You cannot spend more than you are taking in,” said Mr Baird.
Fraserburgh Golf Club, founded in 1881, has one of the best links courses in the North and North-east. But the main income from visitors’ green fees is confined to the summer months.
“I often feel that more should be done to market the splendid golf courses we have in the North-east, including Fraserburgh, as a package. We should get more visitors here than we do,” said Mr Baird.
“Perhaps the Donald Trump International Links will one day draw much bigger numbers of golf tourists to the North-east and then we will all get a spin-off. I very much hope so.”
The Fraserburgh captain refuted any suggestion that the club had ongoing cash problems.
"We are not cash-strapped at all," said Mr Baird. "Earlier this winter, we spent quite a lot of money on new greenkeeping machinery. Would we have been able to do that if we did not have the money available?"

LOOKING TO STAY IN GOLF
George Young, president of the North-east District of the Scottish Golf Union and father of former Walker Cup player Steven Young, is keen to continue in golf club administration elsewhere in the North-east.
“I am willing to listen to any golf club administration offer that may be going, whether that be part-time, temporary or even permanent,” said George.
“It was unfortunate that Fraserburgh Golf Club terminated by contract – purely on financial grounds – when I was so enjoying the day-to-day involvement in golf administration. However, although it has slightly downed my spirits, I have enjoyed the recent weeks as I have played more golf in that period that I had done in the past two years!”

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