Holes filled in with concrete as golfers play in Rottingdean

3:50pm Friday 11th January 2013 in News

Rottingdean Pitch and Putt course, the hole have been filled in with concrete. Cllr Lynda Hyde at a loss to why Rottingdean Pitch and Putt course, the hole have been filled in with concrete. Cllr Lynda Hyde at a loss to why

Golf is a hard sport at the best of times, but posting a decent score is even harder when there are no holes on the course.

This was the fate that Dave Walker and his friends found themselves in on Friday, January 4, at Rottingdean Pitch and Putt.

As they were teeing off they discovered a council worker filling in the holes with cement.

He said: “As one of seven senior citizens, we have enjoyed playing pitch and putt once a week at the Windmill course in Rottingdean over several years, enjoying the weekly exercise while we put the world to rights.

“When the lease expired and the course closed a couple of months ago, we continued using what we thought was now essentially a piece of public land owned by the Brighton and Hove council tax payers.

“Imagine our surprise at the petty-mindedness of the council when on Friday morning they dispatched a workman to fill the holes with concrete while we were playing.”

Mr Walker and his pals ended up hitting their putts as close to the concrete as possible, with any ball crossing the hole counting as in.

'Idyllic setting'

The Saltdean resident has been playing at the course for five years and said it would be missed.

He added: “It’s an idyllic setting up on the hill with the windmill.

“I think it is a bit petty by the council.”

A council spokesman said: “The tenant’s lease has expired and we’re currently negotiating with them on the next move.

“In the meantime the holes were filled in at their request as it is currently not available for play as it cannot be supervised.

“The course is closed for winter so local people would generally be aware it is not available for official play.”

'It's a disgrace'

But ward councillor Lynda Hyde has attacked the plans, claiming Rottingdean has been treated less favourably as it is on the “fringe”.

She said: “I think it is a disgrace.

“A lot of people, especially retired people, use that course.

“The Government is advising people to get out and take exercise – well, the course is well-used by residents as well as others.

“The residents put a lot of money into the council tax coffers and get this in return.”

See the latest news headlines from The Argus:

More news from The Argus

Follow @brightonargus

Daily Echo on Facebook - facebook.com/southerndailyecho Like us on Facebook

Google+ Add us to your circles on Google+

Comments(34)

Falmer Wizard says...
4:41pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Its amazing how this Council works against its rate payers,however the current party must be working on borrowed time

Report this post »

fishy_face says...
4:46pm Fri 11 Jan 13

A council spokesman said: “The tenant’s lease has expired and we’re currently negotiating with them on the next move.

“In the meantime the holes were filled in at their request as it is currently not available for play as it cannot be supervised.

The above reason does not hold water, if the lease has expired, the former lessee would have no rights to dictate the holes be filled.

I am pretty sure that any play, whether it is an OAP playing or a parent with their child playing, does not need to be 'supervised' by anyone but themselves.

I bet the Council will next say health and safety is the real reason so people don't fall in the holes, break an ankle and sue the council for negligence.

Shame on you Brighton & Hove City Council

Report this post »

John Fallon says...
5:52pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Jobsworths will always find new ways of making other people's days unpleasant.

Report this post »

Martha Gunn says...
5:56pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Please Argus do tell us this is an early April Fool.
Because, if not, this is yet another monumental milestone in the progress of the Green Party towards complete incompetence in running our city.

Report this post »

pitb says...
6:02pm Fri 11 Jan 13

It's happened at last - the inmates are now definitely running the asylum!

Report this post »

Ouseler says...
6:31pm Fri 11 Jan 13

I got quite excited when I read the greens were having their holes filled in, but I see it's the putting greens...Ah! well, we live in hope....

Report this post »

Roy Pennington says...
7:47pm Fri 11 Jan 13

hole in one -- not.

Report this post »

BornInBrighton1968 says...
7:53pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Martha Gunn wrote:
Please Argus do tell us this is an early April Fool.
Because, if not, this is yet another monumental milestone in the progress of the Green Party towards complete incompetence in running our city.
If all Brighton men and women of good character stand up against the Green Party, we could remove them from power in a matter of months.

Let us all stand together and remove the incompetent, ultra politically-correct Marxist Green loons from power!

Report this post »

brighton-breezy says...
8:07pm Fri 11 Jan 13

I would like to know the name of the idiot in council that though this was appropriate. I am reading this in total disbelief that our council, that is here to represent its community has decided that we are unable to play pitch and putt without supervision. I can't help but think that perhaps it is a ploy, so no one will use the land, it will become overgrown and a fly tipping dumping ground, and then the council will do the heroic thing by selling it off to a developer with the agreement they include half a dozen affordable homes in there plan, and the decision makers get a back hander.

Report this post »

Nosfaratu says...
8:17pm Fri 11 Jan 13

If this was 'France', they would have a 'Revolution', they would put up 'Barricades' and fight the unpopular regime that persecutes it's own people.

Men would die but the people would win in the end. I say to all B&H residents, man the 'Barricades', fight the 'Regime' that ignor's your protests, ridicule's common sense and waste's your hard earned tax. Lets boil the 'Greens'.

Sorry, just seen Le' Miserable's.

Report this post »

Idontbelieveit1948 says...
9:02pm Fri 11 Jan 13

brighton-breezy wrote:
I would like to know the name of the idiot in council that though this was appropriate. I am reading this in total disbelief that our council, that is here to represent its community has decided that we are unable to play pitch and putt without supervision. I can't help but think that perhaps it is a ploy, so no one will use the land, it will become overgrown and a fly tipping dumping ground, and then the council will do the heroic thing by selling it off to a developer with the agreement they include half a dozen affordable homes in there plan, and the decision makers get a back hander.
Like your drift but suspect it is more likely to end up as the new traveller site - after all the poor dears need to have a nice view to wake up to !

Report this post »

melfromhove says...
9:20pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Idontbelieveit1948
Agree about the traveller site -maybe the holes were filled in to stop them tripping whilst running across the green with the lead from the church roof!

Report this post »

Maxwell's Ghost says...
11:11pm Fri 11 Jan 13

The mismanagement of services by this council is incredible.
We should all just stop paying our council tax until someone grabs the authority by the balls and makes it perform properly.
It's utterly incompetent.

Report this post »

NickBrt says...
11:19pm Fri 11 Jan 13

How petty of the green council. If it had been a traveller site they'd have left the facilities and added to them. How come greens hate council taxpayers so much yet welcome travellers and protesters and fall over themselves to give them help support and money.

Report this post »

martyt says...
11:48pm Fri 11 Jan 13

brighton-breezy wrote:
I would like to know the name of the idiot in council that though this was appropriate. I am reading this in total disbelief that our council, that is here to represent its community has decided that we are unable to play pitch and putt without supervision. I can't help but think that perhaps it is a ploy, so no one will use the land, it will become overgrown and a fly tipping dumping ground, and then the council will do the heroic thing by selling it off to a developer with the agreement they include half a dozen affordable homes in there plan, and the decision makers get a back hander.
dont forget i would make a good pitch too pull a caravan on ,but then again the greens wont mind that !

Report this post »

Morgyn the Mighty says...
2:01am Sat 12 Jan 13

BornInBrighton1968 wrote:
Martha Gunn wrote:
Please Argus do tell us this is an early April Fool.
Because, if not, this is yet another monumental milestone in the progress of the Green Party towards complete incompetence in running our city.
If all Brighton men and women of good character stand up against the Green Party, we could remove them from power in a matter of months.

Let us all stand together and remove the incompetent, ultra politically-correct Marxist Green loons from power!
Please stop describing the Greens as Marxists. It's a silly comment that tarnishes and diminishes the rest of us anti-Greens who'd like to get rid of them.

Report this post »

mimseycal says...
7:40am Sat 12 Jan 13

Ah well, the Greens, for all their lunacy, are not alone. I recollect a previous administration that thought tarmacking sandpits a few weeks before the summer holidays was the right way to go about things.

They managed to do two if memory serves me right, East Brighton Park and Mileoak, before an uproar in the Argus made them stop in their tracks.

Report this post »

Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit says...
8:30am Sat 12 Jan 13

"It cannot be supervised". Well quite, heaven forbid that a group of adults could organise an informal game without killing anyone on the A259. Can't be too careful, if it saves one life, etc etc.

Report this post »

mimseycal says...
8:57am Sat 12 Jan 13

Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit wrote:
"It cannot be supervised". Well quite, heaven forbid that a group of adults could organise an informal game without killing anyone on the A259. Can't be too careful, if it saves one life, etc etc.
It is more a case of if we cannot benefit from the putting green by getting rent from leasees, why should residents be allowed to have a free putt ;)

Report this post »

raymondo999 says...
9:15am Sat 12 Jan 13

Nosfaratu wrote:
If this was 'France', they would have a 'Revolution', they would put up 'Barricades' and fight the unpopular regime that persecutes it's own people.

Men would die but the people would win in the end. I say to all B&H residents, man the 'Barricades', fight the 'Regime' that ignor's your protests, ridicule's common sense and waste's your hard earned tax. Lets boil the 'Greens'.

Sorry, just seen Le' Miserable's.
Aux armes citoyens!!!

Report this post »

jackthekipper says...
10:21am Sat 12 Jan 13

surely we can stand up and be counted and bring about a vote of no confidence in this lot before word gets round and we become a laughing stock for putting up with it.
just shows what thew council thinks of its citizens

Report this post »

Dealing with idiots says...
11:32am Sat 12 Jan 13

The vote of no confidence petition is out there on the B & H website. Paste this in and register. Alternatively email me on
greensoutnow@gmail.c
om and I can send you a poster and petition for you to copy and fill out.

http://present.brigh
ton-hove.gov.uk/mgEP
etitionDisplay.aspx?
ID=360&RPID=6193661&
HPID=6193661

Report this post »

BornInBrighton1968 says...
1:31pm Sat 12 Jan 13

Dealing with idiots wrote:
The vote of no confidence petition is out there on the B & H website. Paste this in and register. Alternatively email me on
greensoutnow@gmail.c

om and I can send you a poster and petition for you to copy and fill out.

http://present.brigh

ton-hove.gov.uk/mgEP

etitionDisplay.aspx?

ID=360&RPID=6193
661&
HPID=6193661
Have signed the petition and have got friends, relatives and family members to do the same

Report this post »

Juleyanne says...
7:34pm Sat 12 Jan 13

Perhaps this government has plans to build houses on it! no green space is safe!

Report this post »

Hove Actually says...
11:57pm Sat 12 Jan 13

Kitcat care to explain this ridiculous action......no didn't think so

Report this post »

Farouche says...
5:15pm Sun 13 Jan 13

I totally support the council for filling in the golf course holes. It ain't a golf-course no more!

Go pay some money and join another golf club and stop wanting all your petty whims to be catered for

Report this post »

hove dweller says...
6:54pm Sun 13 Jan 13

The course is closed. So why the sense of outrage? I don't get it.

Report this post »

ARealBessie says...
8:07pm Sun 13 Jan 13

Filling in little holes with concrete is probably the practice run for the big hole the council intends filling with concrete on The (new) Level.
Coming soon...

Report this post »

cwo1993 says...
8:47am Mon 14 Jan 13

Funny how they have time to fill these in properly, but not all the potholes!

Report this post »

mustaphaLeeko says...
6:49pm Tue 15 Jan 13

wow, that's going to be REALLY difficult for people to remove, a round bit of cement from a round hole in the grass!

I wonder if the sales of barbecue tongs will go up locally? lol.

Report this post »

BrightonNationalParty says...
9:59am Wed 16 Jan 13

we will be addressing this matter at the next meeting of the Brighton National Party in a few days and will let people know.

Report this post »

toldsloth says...
1:09pm Wed 16 Jan 13

We're saved - the BNP are on the case. Are the holes filled in with White concrete or a "mix"......

Report this post »

ThinkBrighton says...
11:15am Thu 17 Jan 13

Pity the green idiots can't repair our roads just turn a PUBLICLY owned piece of land into nothing.
Just when we thought that "commy" style rule had been put to bed , up jumps the greens who do not give a fig about the people of Brighton, but want to cause as much mayhem as possible at the greatest cost.
Who will pick up the bill to reinstate the golf course, rectify the so called road improvements in Brighton and put right the other hair brained schemes THE PEOPLE OF BRIGHTON
It's now more than obvious that if you voted green you were either deceived or barking mad

Report this post »

ThinkBrighton says...
11:16am Thu 17 Jan 13

Pity the green idiots can't repair our roads just turn a PUBLICLY owned piece of land into nothing.
Just when we thought that "commy" style rule had been put to bed , up jumps the greens who do not give a fig about the people of Brighton, but want to cause as much mayhem as possible at the greatest cost.
Who will pick up the bill to reinstate the golf course, rectify the so called road improvements in Brighton and put right the other hair brained schemes THE PEOPLE OF BRIGHTON
It's now more than obvious that if you voted green you were either deceived or barking mad

Report this post »

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree