The future of New Forest District Council owned Dibden Golf Centre is uncertain now that the organisation appointed to run it, MyTime, Active have decided to stop doing so. It has a lease that is due to terminate on the 1st April 2027 and has issued a notice of intention to quit.

The Conservative Cabinet is to consider a report which outlines the reasons why the organisation have decided to withdraw from the running of the facility, mostly to do with financial pressures and changing patterns of customer demand.

This is one of the few golf courses I have played on. All seemed well when I was there about a month ago, talking to the Probus group about local government reorganisation. The club includes facilities for things like wedding parties and charity events.

I really hope that a way can be found to keep things running. It will be a tremendous loss to the local community if not.

I recall doubts about the wisdom of taking the facility out of the direct running of the Council and putting it into the hands of a commercial operator. These things are always done with a promise of greater investment and expertise just in the same way that privatisation is always sold.

Whilst I don’t think that the taxpayer should subsidise people who wish to play golf. The potential loss of such a facility to the community is wide ranging. The administration at New Forest District Council needs to move swiftly to protect the future of this service.