WATCH: Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club president Douglas Simpson admits they cannot afford to wait before tackling coastal erosion around course – 'We need to do something about it now'
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Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club president Douglas Simpson insists immediate action needs to be taken after metres of coastal erosion risks health and safety issues at the course.
The club last week launched a Go Fund Me in a bid to raise six figures to cover the costs of major repair operation after five to six metres of ground was washed away – including a popular beach-front path alongside the golf course leading to popular tourist destination Chanonry Point.
Highland Council are responsible for the shore front, while Scottish Water have a sewage pipe running through the area of erosion, but it is the golf club who are being left to cover the bulk of the costs, which are expected to approach £170,000.
That is an investment that must be made though, according to Simpson, as the level of erosion over such a short period of time has the potential for devastating consequences for the course.
"The golf course has been here for a long time – since 1793 – and we've never suffered particularly badly from erosion on this side of the golf course," he explained.
"Over the last six months or so though, there has been a tremendous amount of erosion.
"We reckon that over this stretch of the course we've lost about six metres over the last six months. We have almost lost the first and second tees, so it has been very dramatic and very surprising.
"As far as we can see there are no other explanations for it other than being a climate emergency, with rising tides and bigger storms coming in.
"A peninsula like this is made of glacial deposit, so there is always going to be some erosion. We've had that on the other side of the course and tried to deal with it, but we've never had anything on this scale.
"If this was to happen over a period of 10 years, we would lose virtually the whole of the first fairway – on a course that has been here since 1793!"
With peak tourist and golfing season fast approaching, Simpson is also cautious of the impact that the erosion will have on the 2024 season.
With a significant amount of people travelling to the area every year – whether for golf, to see the dolphins at Chanonry Point or simply to take in a coastal walk – there is little chance that things will be able to carry on as normal without undergoing the extensive repairs.
"The golf club would change, because we couldn't have the same opening two holes as we do now," Simpson reasoned.
"That would be a very significant thing for the 15th oldest golf club in the world, so that would be our main concern – along with the health and safety implications of having tourists and golf side by side.
"This peninsula is a very, very popular tourist attraction. Golfers come from all over the world to play here, and the bottlenose dolphins at Chanonry Point are an enormous attraction as well, so we get a lot of walkers coming along the path beside the first tee.
"We have always existed with that, and worked harmoniously with the tourists that come here, but now that path has gone and pedestrians are walking through the golf course to get to the lighthouse. There are obviously big problems with that.
"There are certainly going to be more golf balls on the beach, because the fairway is getting narrower and narrower!
"When you have hundreds of pedestrians walking here every day, and they are much closer to golfers teeing off – if not on the golf course – there is a health and safety implication there that we need to take really seriously. That's something we're really worried about.
"Coming into spring, there are going to be spring tides which will cause even more damage to the golf course. That means it's not something we can wait a year or two to tackle, we need to do something about it now."
With so many people coming to the area, Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club believe it is in Highland Council's interests to contribute to the safeguarding of the area.
Scottish Water are contributing around a third of the costs, but Simpson has found dealing with the council to be more frustrating so far.
"The rest of the first fairway and part of the second fairway needs protecting as well, so there are large figures involved," he added.
"Our intention is to work collaboratively with others that are involved like the Highland Council and Scottish Water.
"We're raising as much money as we can, and Scottish Water are making a contribution to this part, which is helpful.
"We've found it difficult getting Highland Council involved, although they are responsible for this path which has now gone. If we can get better collaboration and communication with them, that would really help our case I think.
"It's a huge amenity. It's not a big championship golf course in some ways, but it is an enormous tourist attraction.
"David Attenborough recently did a feature on the bottlenose dolphin here, so it's a world-known area and we think it is very much in Highland Council's interest to help us put this footpath back to support what the gold club are trying to do.
"We know the Council doesn't have a surplus of money, but even if they can give us advice and lead us to sources of funding that they could collaborate with us on, that would be really helpful."
In response to Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club's initial plea for contributions to their Go Fund Me, a spokesperson for The Highland Council said: “Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club has approached Highland Council on numerous occasions, via multiple routes, with regards to coastal erosion in the area around the golf course.
“As the club is a private asset, the asset owner is responsible for its protection. The coastal erosion does not affect housing.
“The Council recognises golf’s benefits to tourism, outdoor activity and the positive impact sport has on people’s mental and physical health and wellbeing, but Highland Council is facing a significant budget deficit. Therefore, this area is not a priority or indeed the responsibility of Highland Council in terms of its Coastal Erosion Policy.
“In terms of the Council’s duties around the Coastal Erosion Policy, a team from the local authority’s roads operations team is currently involved in discussions around works further along the shore to protect Council assets.
“In addition, however, the Fortrose and Rosemarkie Common Good Fund has set aside £5K over the next two years which will be directed towards works on the core path in that area, and the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee has also committed £2.5k from its Core Path budget.
“The club can of course raise funds through private events and can also apply to the Highland Coastal Communities Fund for support.”
