The members of the golf club braved poor weather when they took their protest to Perceval House on Wednesday (8 November 2023).
Keen golfer and club member David Chapman told Ealing News of their concerns: “We have to continue to protest against the biased and anti golf propaganda that Ealing Council is putting out. We are in the public consultation phase but just look at their latest Instagram message. Several sports they hope to see in the park. Football, basketball, cricket, volleyball, climbing, boules and badminton all get a mention but nothing at all about golf.”
Mr Chapman added: “There is absolutely no reason why our tiny 9-hole course couldn’t be an integral part of the new regional park. It’s a lovely green space that the public have access to now. We have carried out our own survey and estimate that 240 additional trees could be planted on our small course and we could still play on it. That would go a long way to meeting Ealing’s environmental objectives. We have other ideas for making the course part of the regional park that we desperately want to talk to Councillors about.
“We look around when playing golf and we see an empty park and an athletics track that is hardly used to full capacity. There is plenty of room in Perivale Park for all sorts of new physical activities and no need to close a 100-year-old golf course that promotes physical and mental well-being for everyone.
“The people who use Perivale Park Golf course aren’t well off they are working class people who enjoy playing golf on their municipal course. They deserve better from a Labour administration than to have it closed.”
Ealing Council said in a statement in September it “will soon appoint specialists to develop more detailed plans for the regional park, which may include a comprehensive review of the golf facilities across the borough. In line with the council’s commitment to be open and transparent, residents and key stakeholders will be consulted on proposals before any decision is made, and the first public consultation will be on the possible closure of Perivale Park Golf Course.”