Garnant golf tenders not up to par
Garnant Golf Club is to be re-tendered for sale after the last round of tenders sent out over the end of last year failed.
A total of 12 tenders packs were sent out in November last year to interested private owners and enquiries were received from 10 others seeking to take over the Ammanford £1-million municipal golf course to help secure its long-term future.
Only two former tenders were received and owners Carmarthenshire Council said they were unable to offer a lease to either of the bidders.
One of the tenders failed to meet the evaluation and financial criteria and the other did not provide value for money for the Council.
The Council wants to lease out Parc Garnant - built on reclaimed land from a former open cast coal site - which will make a loss of around £150,000 this year.
It has invited tenders as part of a review of its leisure services which has attracted widespread interest.
Garnant councillor Kevin Madge said the executive board wanted to ensure it remained open to the public and did not become exclusively a private members club.
The 18-hole course and clubhouse was developed as part of the restoration of the 120-acre site after opencast mining ceased in 1992.
It was named best new course of the year in 2004 by the Golf Union of Wales.
It has a membership but is also open to the public on a pay-per-play basis with green fees from £10 a round.
Cllr Madge, who is also a member of the council's executive board, said: "Over the last 10 years it has provided golf for a lot of people who would never normally have the opportunity to play.”
Councils throughout Wales have been reviewing their leisure services.
A council spokesman said it had undertaken an audit of all its parks, leisure centres and other facilities.
"Where they are seen to be a drain on public funds or not providing council taxpayers with value for money they are changing their methods of operation," he added.
Mr Madge said: "There has been a lot of investment there and it is a great course with stunning views of the Brecon Beacons. There is a lot of potential there.”
A total of 12 tenders packs were sent out in November last year to interested private owners and enquiries were received from 10 others seeking to take over the Ammanford £1-million municipal golf course to help secure its long-term future.
Only two former tenders were received and owners Carmarthenshire Council said they were unable to offer a lease to either of the bidders.
One of the tenders failed to meet the evaluation and financial criteria and the other did not provide value for money for the Council.
The Council wants to lease out Parc Garnant - built on reclaimed land from a former open cast coal site - which will make a loss of around £150,000 this year.
It has invited tenders as part of a review of its leisure services which has attracted widespread interest.
Garnant councillor Kevin Madge said the executive board wanted to ensure it remained open to the public and did not become exclusively a private members club.
The 18-hole course and clubhouse was developed as part of the restoration of the 120-acre site after opencast mining ceased in 1992.
It was named best new course of the year in 2004 by the Golf Union of Wales.
It has a membership but is also open to the public on a pay-per-play basis with green fees from £10 a round.
Cllr Madge, who is also a member of the council's executive board, said: "Over the last 10 years it has provided golf for a lot of people who would never normally have the opportunity to play.”
Councils throughout Wales have been reviewing their leisure services.
A council spokesman said it had undertaken an audit of all its parks, leisure centres and other facilities.
"Where they are seen to be a drain on public funds or not providing council taxpayers with value for money they are changing their methods of operation," he added.
Mr Madge said: "There has been a lot of investment there and it is a great course with stunning views of the Brecon Beacons. There is a lot of potential there.”
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