The Pitch: Fears up to 100 golf clubs could fold over iGolf scheme

The general manager of one of the country’s leading golf clubs has warned that a plan to target casual golfers could have devastating impact

Ballyliffin Golf Club ahead of the 2018 Irish Open. Photo by Oliver McVeigh/Sportsfile

The general manager of one of the country’s leading golf clubs has warned that a plan to issue handicaps to non-club members has the potential to devastate the industry.

In an interview with The Pitch, John Farren of Ballyliffin Golf Club in County Donegal, said the Independent Golfer scheme would prove “economically inviable” for many clubs who depend on membership revenue to survive.   “It doesn’t add up for the smaller golf club, for whom there is no regard for the consequences, and that could mean as much as 50-100 clubs going out of business,” said Farren.