Sport / Golf officials swing in for visit as memberships at two clubs soar
NATIONAL golf officials visited the isles last week on the back of a surge in memberships at both the Shetland and Whalsay golf clubs last year.
Whalsay – the most northerly golf club in the UK – grew its membership by almost a quarter in 2025, while Shetland Golf Club at Dale saw its numbers grow by nearly 13 per cent.
Both clubs also saw large rises in junior participation, with 76 new boy and girl members signing up throughout the year.
Scottish Golf chief Robbie Clyde and north development manager Eilidh Paterson were in Shetland last week to see the progress up close, and held meetings with the council’s sports team too.
The pair are seeking to continue golf’s growth in Shetland, and spoke with development manager Neil Grant, Active Schools manager Louise Jamieson and sports development officer Jack Clubb about achieving that.
Talks centred around encouraging beginners into the game, growing the number of women and girl players and funding options for the two clubs.
Clyde said there was a “genuine passion for golf on Shetland”, which had been evident in discussions with club officials and staff at Shetland Islands Council.
“Membership numbers at both Shetland and Whalsay have risen in the past year, but there’s so much more we want to do to support the growth of the game,” the Scottish Golf chief executive said.
“In particular, we all feel that there’s a real opportunity to encourage more women and girls to enjoy the game.
“It can be easy for our members in the Highlands and Islands to feel a little bit isolated. I felt it was crucial to meet the clubs face-to-face and reassure them that they are very much part of the wider Scottish Golf community and we’re proud to support them in any way we can.”
Paterson said they wanted the clubs in Shetland to “feel confident” that they were being backed and supported by the national golf body.
“We wanted to hear directly from the council and clubs and discover how we could tailor our work to support golf’s development in this remote but stunningly beautiful part of Scotland,” she said.
“There are a number of things we took away from the trip that the wider Scottish Golf team and I will now look to activate in the coming months so that we can build on what was a really successful 2025 for golf in Shetland.”
Shetland Golf Club chairman Ross MacDougall said there had been “limited direct engagement” with Scottish Golf in recent years.
But he said this trip “marks an important step in developing a more collaborative relationship” between the two.
“A common perception persists that golf is a sport out of reach for many. Shetland Golf Club is committed to challenging that stigma.
“The club aims to create clear, accessible pathways for beginners and juniors to get involved. All necessary equipment is provided, meaning newcomers only need to bring themselves.
“Shetland Golf Club would also like to extend a sincere thank you to its volunteers and sponsors, whose continued support keeps the club thriving and enables the development of new opportunities for the community.”
Information on programmes and pathways for getting started will be shared by Shetland Golf Club this spring.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
