I’m always keen to encourage youngsters in sport and I’m delighted that the British Amateur Junior Open Golf Championship 2013 is to be held at both Wallasey Golf Club and Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake this summer, between Sunday 11 and Friday 16 August 2013, I’m sure those taking part are excited and I know how much practice and training is involved in competition sport (my own two swam competitively over a number of years).
However, the council have proposed to facilitate practice days/sessions on the Coastal Drive grassed area (the dips to you and me) in front of the Mockbeggar Drive estate between these dates. It would involve road closures along Coastal Drive and narrowing of the road along parts of the south side of Kings Parade.
I’m sure local people wouldn’t mind partial road closures for this fantastic competition but it does seem ironic to me that the Council having spent years discouraging any play of golf on the dips they now propose to allow it for this practice event. What kind of message does it send out and what argument can they use when our own local youngsters decide to practice on the dips in the summer?
There’s a meeting later in the week to discuss this in more detail with local councillors, I’ll be suggesting they use The Warren Municipal Golf Course, it runs parallel to the dips and there are two golf holes situated next to the length of the railway track – seems ideal to me.
I’ll report back after the meeting.
This isn’t a new idea… several years ago when I still worked with Wallasey Village Partnership exactly the same idea was suggested for the qualifying rounds of the Open… it was met with the same concerns then and a new location was found. What short memories Wirral Council have!