MASTERS CHAMP ON ‘LOST’ COURSE
MASTERS WINNER DISAPPOINTED AT LLANGEFNI DECISION
A MASTERS champion golfer has spoken of his “disappointment” at a council’s decision to sell off a course he frequented as a child.
Last week, Anglesey council announced that it will sell off the nine-hole course in Llangefni because it is losing money.
Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters Champion, spent many childhood holidays on the island, and has said that regular visits to the pay-as-you-play golf course had played a “key role” in his development as a professional golfer.
Following Monday’s decision, a spokesman for the Sheffield-born pro said: “Danny is extremely disappointed to hear the news of Llangefni’s imminent closure.
“It’s a course he grew up playing on family holidays as a child and he had very fond memories of the place. It’s a real shame.”
In 2015, Willett said: “We used to go to Anglesey in Wales for two weeks in the summer and play the same nine-hole golf course three or four times.
“I think the longest club you hit was probably a seven-iron on this par-three course in the middle of a sheep field.”
Shortly after his Masters win, he returned to Llangefni to show his support for keeping the course open, also writing to the council’s chief executive.
Social enterprise group Partneriaeth Llangefni have been running the golf course since July 2015, under a lease agreement with the authority.
The authority has promised to re-invest the proceeds of the 42-acre site’s sale in leisure facilities and the opening of a new soft play area at Llangefni’s Plas Arthur leisure centre.
The on-site driving range will also stay open, with the council seeking outside groups to take over its running.
Leisure portfolio holder Cllr Carwyn Jones said: “Although we are scaling down the councilowned golf provision, ring-fencing the capital receipt to strengthen the future leisure provision on Anglesey is extremely positive.
“I am also very aware that there are fantastic golf courses across Anglesey, and would encourage people to support these.”