Club to build ‘community academy’ in its 150th year

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Stirling Golf Club is to celebrate its 150th anniversary by constructing a new six-figure community academy.

The club has engaged Swan Golf Designs (SGD) to design and oversee the Stirling150Academy, which is scheduled to be ready for use in spring 2020. It will comprise a long-game academy, two short-game academies, a putting academy and a six-hole academy, with artificial target greens.

It is also being created to encourage those who might not normally have the chance to start playing golf – the disadvantaged or challenged in the community – thus demonstrating  social sustainability. This has been publicly recognised with the project awarded a grant of £50,000 towards the total cost, from Sport Scotland, which sees the initiative as a blueprint to which other clubs should aspire.

The golf club matched the money donated and the £150,000 funding target was achieved during the summer.

Architect Howard Swan said: “The Stirling150Academy makes maximum use of a small area. And, with the assistance of the membership, professional Kenny Monaghan and Anthony Blackburn from Golf in Society – a social enterprise which uses golf to improve the lives of the ageing population so affected by dementia – we produced a concept focussed on the community, which encourages participation of the local schools and population.

“Sport Scotland described the plan as an ‘exemplary approach’ for golf clubs. Both SGD and Stirling GC are extending the arms of welcome to those who may have lacked the opportunity to play this wonderful sport.”