A war of words has broken out between Hollingbury residents and the new operators of the golf course as new restrictions on where people can walk across the course are brought in.
Circle Golf took over the operation of Hollingbury Golf Course in April, during lockdown, but is now gearing up to start welcoming players once more.
However, this means that people who have been using the course to walk their dogs or cut across to get to the fort, some for decades, are no longer allowed to use all the routes they once enjoyed.
The two public footpaths and a number of new permitted routes are being marked out – but residents are angry they can no longer walk across the course in the same way.
However, Circle Golf says it needs to restrict walking so that golfers aren’t constantly interrupted, and said accusations that walkers had been shouted at by course staff were completely untrue.
Ward councillor Martin Osborne said: “There are a growing list of issues around Hollingbury Park Golf Course and one of the main concerns that has filled our inbox over the last few weeks has been the around the rights of way.
“It’s important that walkers are safe and try to keep to the designated paths and I know that the new leaseholder has been trying to make the routes more obvious to the public.
“However, I’ve heard of a few cases of people being aggressively approached by staff threatening them with trespass when they have strayed off the paths and perhaps this is a bit overzealous.
“It’s a shame that the planned community engagement with the new leaseholder hasn’t been arranged yet as many of the issues could have been prevented by discussing arrangements beforehand.
“However, I’m glad that the leaseholders have invited councillors to meet on Friday, 3 July and look forward to raising the points with them.
“We’ll certainly be pushing for a public meeting in the near future where residents can raise issues themselves but in the meantime if there are other issues I’d welcome people to get in contact with me using my email Martin.Osborne@brighton-hove.gov.uk.”
However David Allen, director of Circle Golf, said it was necessary to restrict people to the footpaths as one of the reasons the course had struggled in the past was because golfers were constantly being interrupted.
He said: “There is one public footpath that runs through the course and we have voluntarily created three further permissive paths for walkers to use.
“These have been carefully placed in positions where it is as safe as possible to walk on a golf course. All we are asking people to do is to keep to the footpaths so that they can walk in safety and the golfers can enjoy their game.
“The constant feedback from the golfers here is that the course has been failing for two reasons, one, underinvestment causing poor playing conditions and secondly golf being constantly interrupted by random walkers.
“We will invest and improve the playing conditions, but also need the walkers to respect the golf and walk on the footpaths for their own safety and allow the golfers to play uninterrupted.
“We have allowed the open access of the course during lockdown, as so many other facilities were closed, but I am afraid our generosity is now backfiring on us, as people have become used to walking anywhere they wish.
“All we are now doing is asking people to keep to the footpaths for their own safety and to allow the golf to take place. Everyone can enjoy the great views and fresh air here if they respect each other and keep to their own areas.”
He dismissed rumours they were planning on installing electric fences as “totally ridiculous” and denied anyone had been stopped from walking across the car park.
The council said it had paid for a leaflet to be produced explaining where the new paths were. It said that nobody had complained about the leaflet, but didn’t respond to a request to find out how many people had complained about not being able to walk across the golf course.
This venture must be a success, or the land will become housing. Everyone knows you should not simply stroll across a golf course, so these ‘random walkers’ should be dealt with.
I wish the venture well but most of the land is national park so can’t be built on. You can stroll as a walker but respect the permissive paths which are rightfully protected. We need to make the course work for golfers and walkers as both have rights to the land.
It’s a golf course, not a picnic area or open space you can simply stroll across. Stick to the pathways and everyone should then be happy.
I have played Hollingburry golf course for over 30 years it never used to be as bad as it is now, we have had adults letting there children play in bunkers with buckets and spades, l have seen cyclists riding across the greens leaving groves in the surface of the green which makes the green unplayable why would you do that , l believe it is done on purpose because there a people out there that do not want to see the golf course succeed , l live right next to the course and l am over there twice a day, l see people walking down the middle of fairways towards golfers who are waiting to tee off and they are not taking any notice of warnings given someone is going to get seriously injured.
Everyone deserves to use the space exercising mutual respect. Wait until they have taken their shot and then move swiftly across. However, a few years back one golfer did not exercise that mutual respect and teed off nearly hitting me with the ball. I saw where it landed and picked it up and put it in my pocket. I did enjoy watching a rather florid gentleman thrash around in the rough for half an hour searching for it. Goldfinger came to mind 😊
I play golf at Hollingbury we are on speaking terms with lots of the walkers it’s the new walkers
who don’t respect that it’s a golf course because Brighton and Hove council closed Waterhall golf course for rewilding and general public use it’s 5 mins from Hollingbury the walks and views are just as good as Hollingbury. However they may wish to clear the area of dog doo and empty the bins also containing hundreds of plastic bags of the same.
If I were a dog owner and could choose between Stanmer Park, Wild Park, Ditchling Beacon,other open areas and Hollingbury Park Golf Club to let my dog(s) run riot why would I choose the latter unless I had a total disregard for the rights of fee paying golfers to enjoy their game. It is very difficult to complete 18 holes on the course without finding dog faeces on one’s shoes or trolley wheels. Every golfer will recount having had his golf ball ‘taken’ by a dog. The golf club has become a favourite location for professional dog walkers who are paid handsomely to walk up to six dogs, unleashed, on a golfer’s £20 a round course.
My understanding is that the land for the golf course was bequeathed to the Council by the then owner of Hollingbury Park in the early 20th Century for a golf course, on the condition that it should continue to be accessible to the public for walking.
We’ve walked our dogs on Hollingbury golf course for 15 years as we live locally. We keep our dogs on a lead at all times, and are very mindful of golfers. That way we feel able to traverse the fairways safely. If both golfers and walkers show consideration and common sense, I don’t see why walkers should have to stick rigidly to the footpaths.
I’m sorry to hear that some haven’t respected the space but put this down to lockdown madness. To be honest, I’m as concerned about the clear use of chemical weedkillers on some of the greens – something that was denied by the Chairman of the golf course in February.
I am not sure how Councillor Martin expected community engagement to take place in the face of the Lockdown? Both the new owner and the golf club captain committed to engaging with the community and interested groups throughout Council considerations and I am sure they will at an appropriate time.
If Hollingbury Park had not been utilised as a golf course I am sure it would have disappeared under concrete, bricksand mortar many years ago.
The new owner having allowed free range over the course during Lockdown is now faced with reclaiming his business – People that have used the course for recreational walking for years are pretty well aware of their own responsibilities.
New users will need some advice and I am sure that is the owners and Council’s intention. Some access points have been closed off as they are dangerous being blind to golfers driving off. I hope Councillor Martin will support his efforts to maintain public golf and advise his constituents accordingly
I understand that a leaflet has been published showing footpaths, permitted paths and direction of play to keep people safe, they are handed out by the people that Marshall the course and available on the website – there is plenty of space at Hollingbury if people are respectful of others interests. I find it odd that people that wouldn’t dream of meandering across rugby pitches at Waterhall, football pitches at Preston and Stanmer Park (etc) during play do not have the same respect for people paying to play golf? Recreational walkers are not being excluded from Hollingbury just being made aware of the playing area and the risks if simple directions are not observed. I know there are some people of a certain mind set will never show this level of civic co-operation, do you recall the vandalised attempts to fence parts of the Wild Park for grazing? I understand some of the new direction posts at Hollingbury have already been vandalised.
we’ve ‘allowed’ public access? to public land right?
Its SIMPLE!!!!
The New owner has a 25year Lease on the Land, Similar to the Lease that you have on the Land where your House is built…
Would you be happy for people to just walk across your back garden whenever they want to??? and let their dogs foul!!! I’m Sure Not..
Paths have been put in place to allow people to enjoy the Views and of course and providing access to the Roman Camp and the National Trust Areas. These have been design with SAFETY in MIND!!!
A Golf ball hurts when it Hit you!!!! So Stick to the Paths, or maybe consider walking in an actual PARK!!!
Calm down love. Better put a big fence around it then.
We get that it hurts, it’s the aggressive behaviour of the golfers and other that’s not wanted. It’s still assault if you hit at someone and we see that behaviour there.
And of course such a shame to see such a big space that was being used by hundreds each day and evening now the sole domain of couple dozen or so older white men. It was lovely when full of families, children learning to ride bikes safely on lawn, dogs chasing rabbits. Such a diverse group of many many Brighton & Hove people who were able to enjoy that space gifted originally to the people, now excluded.
I know some folks do not like to let facts get in the way of their opinions…but here goes!
The land making up the golf course was not “gifted originally to the people” it was purchased by the Council who had the foresight to see a golf course as a valuable municipal asset for the people – the course still offers affordable accessible golf for all. The original 9 hole golf course was built on Hollingbury Park – it is now a park with a children’s playground, tennis courts and a bowls club…and a very large closely mown area for all to enjoy. Although I am not sure if the tennis players and bowlers will appreciate any assumed right to enjoy the space.
“The people” are not excluded – there is a public footpath that crosses the course with access to the Iron Age Hillfort and the fabulous surrounding views and permitted paths – Recreational walkers are not being excluded from Hollingbury just being made aware of the playing area and the risks if simple directions are not observed.
It doesn’t take long for someone to jump on the race, age or gender bandwagon. There are approx. 200 male and female annual ticket holders of all ages plus many daily green fee payers. The ‘lawn’ would last no more than a few weeks without the golf course and personally, as an animal lover, watching dogs kill rabbits gives me no pleasure.
I must say, I enjoy walking my 5 dogs up Hollingbury golf course, I’m a regular walker on a Saturday morning.
I find the golfers are very friendly, and most of them always say good morning,
I stick to paths that I think would be the safest Routes, and enjoy taking a break to watch some shots.
I will never forget watching a guy in his late 30s, early 40s hitting a bad shot, losing his temper and launching his club into the trees, which hellicoppted over my head.
I laughed all the way home.
The Council closed Waterhall to give people more space to go walking. Look what has happened to that. It is now just a tip for everything including Travellers.
Hollingbury Golf Course is being maintained which includes the surrounding areas and most people respect each other. It is the few who still think it is their right to walk all over the land. IT IS A GOLF COURSE and the Council have said so.
It’s a golf course for crying out loud.. It’s meant for golf.. How many people would complain of my golf mates and I started swinging clubs and hitting balls around a park or on the beach???
There’s always a minority of the community that spoil things for the majority.
The Council made a decision in the early part of the year that an 18hole golf course should continue at Hollingbury. Its needs to be operated in a safe manner so I was interested to read the leaflet produced by the Council as to the paths in and around the course.
The leaflet indicates the Golf Course is NOT open access land and also indicates a golf ball can travel in excess of 100mph potentially causing severe damage so this begs the question why the Council has allowed unfettered access over the course and totally disregarded basic health and safety standards when it was responsible for the area.
These are not new restrictions just a landowner taking his responsibilities seriously something the Council has neglected over many decades
Though I have played and enjoyed playing golf at Hollingburyover many years, maybe it’s time we decided that this precious space be used & enjoyed freely by thousands of men, women, and families over a far small number of men.
I feel it’s a shame that access to the majority of this land is being denied to all people, just so that a few hundred people can hit a ball.
With so many golf courses in the area that don’t allow access to the general public wouldn’t it be better to turn it into a nature park.
The club house could be made into a nature learning centre and cafe.
Stanmer park is slowly being turned into a commercial venture, installation of parking enforcement whilst reducing parking spaces is denying the park to the general public.
The sell off of public spaces is becoming the norm. Preston park for example is now football pitches, a gymnasium and baseball pitch. No space left to allow a dog to run off the lead or for children to ride bikes. This is now common is parks all across the city.
We must hold the council to account. Stop the commercial takeover of OUR public spaces.