Storm Boelo recently brought with it dangerously strong winds and heavy rainfall to much of Scotland last weekend, leading to significant damage and disruption, but few places have felt that impact more acutely than the staff and members of Dumbarton Golf Club.
Established way back in 1888, this is a venue rich with history that boasts a course that rests alongside the River Leven, but those very neighbouring waters have now submerged almost the entirety of the layout due to a collapsed embankment.
The images are simply devastating. Local drone photographer (PixByPedro on X) has been documenting the scene. Overhead pictures have captured the sheer extent of the flooding, which has placed the immediate future of the popular club (with over 800 members) into question.
Releasing a statement on their Facebook page, the club's Management Committee said: "We know that, by now, you will be aware of the devastation from Saturday night, and we wanted to provide you with an update.
"We thank everyone for their offers of help. These are very much appreciated and will be gratefully accepted once we can get the water off the course.
"We are monitoring the water coming in from the collapsed embankment as this will not be a quick fix. We have liaised with West Dunbartonshire Council, and their priority is, rightly, to close the towpath for safety reasons. They will then review the situation with engineers, but there is no guidance on timescales for this.
"Therefore, we are left to try and do what we can to get the water off the course as quickly as possible. This will probably result in extra pumps being required at our cost. We are currently trying to secure these.
"The damage to the course once the water has receded is difficult to imagine right now. Bunkers may all need to be re-sanded, multiple bridges will need to be rebuilt, debris will take time to remove, and there are a number of damaged trees that we cannot get to. This will result in a significant cost as well.
"We have taken the decision to reduce the club’s operating hours to try and save money. This is heartbreaking, given that we have been doing so much in the clubhouse. We would ask members to support the club wherever possible and follow the revised opening hours, which will be sent out regularly."
(Image Credit: Dumbarton Golf Club)
Nearby courses, Helensburgh Golf Club, Cardross Golf Club and Clydebank & District Golf Club have offered their support, allowing members to use their facilities, while the wider golfing community has been actively recognising the plight that Dumbarton currently finds itself in.
Speaking to the Dumbarton Reporter, Paul Savage, the club's vice captain, described the situation and what future steps may involve:
"When the high tide comes, the water starts seeping back into the golf club because that area of the embankment has collapsed.
"If we pump out the water now, it will just come back because the actual embankment has collapsed, and we're not in a financial position where we can afford to do this more than once.
"We've got one chance to try and get the golf club back, or we potentially lose it if we don't.
"It's pretty devastating; it's been a tough couple of days.
"To wake up on Sunday morning and that was the picture. It was heart-breaking to see.
"Nobody can remember the course being as badly flooded as this before."
The effort to remove the water and restore the golf course back to its previous condition will be substantial and financially costly, but the key component is the restoration of the embankment, which is a responsibility that rests with West Dunbartonshire Council, who have been in dialogue with the club.
Paul continued: "If we can get the water out, the clean-up operation is going to take some time because there's a huge amount of debris.
"The vast majority of the bridges have been swept away.
"They're floating all around the golf course.
"Then there's the damage to the course itself; for example, most of the sand will be washed away from the bunkers.
"That's a significant cost to replace.
"It's a big question mark as to how the actual turf will be underneath it because it has been so waterlogged.
"Time's obviously of the essence.
"We need to get the water out as quickly as we can.
"But we can't do anything until we know what's going to be happening with the embankment."
For now, the clubhouse bar has been reopened, allowing members and guests the chance to visit and enjoy a drink, watch live sport on the TV screens, or participate in the other activities that are available, including game of pool or darts, or to spend some valuable time in the club's Indoor Golf Lounge.
This is one way to help the club for now, but conversations in the bar are sure to be dominated by discussion about what comes next, how can things be recovered, and what the future may hold for a venue that has a legacy spanning close to 140 years.
X / Twitter
