12-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
The £39 a month golf membership with no compromise on quality
It's fair to say that public golf courses can often struggle to rival their private counterparts when it comes to location, play and quality – but that's certainly not the case in Aberdeen. With five highly regarded golf courses and a thriving membership, Sport Aberdeen is proving that by investing in its courses, the city's golfers can reap the rewards.
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Priced at just £39 a month, with junior and concessionary rates also available, Sport Aberdeen's golf membership allows you to play four fantastic 18-hole golf courses, as well as the nine-hole course at Hazlehead. That means whether you're a seasoned golfer or just starting out, you can make the most of the variety that the membership offers.
Hazlehead MacKenzie Championship, Hazlehead Pines, Kings Links, Balnagask and Hazlehead 9-hole golf course are all leading the way in allowing Aberdonians to enjoy the sport.
Keith Heslop, chief executive officer at Sport Aberdeen, is a passionate life-long golfer. He's urging Aberdonians to try the courses for themselves – and enjoy all the health and wellbeing benefits golf has to offer.
Keith told us: 'We've got 5,000 Sport Aberdeen golf members, and they're playing regularly. We've 120,000 rounds getting played on our courses every year. There's a consistent demand to use our courses which I believe shows we are doing something right.
'The quality needs to be there, and we must continuously invest in our facilities. We have spent over £400k over the last three years on drainage and scarification and are looking to spend £300k this trading year on irrigation work, all of which reflects the wetter winters and drier summers that we now experience.'
However, it's not just the playing experience that makes Sport Aberdeen's golf memberships so appealing. 'While quality is really important to us, so is quantity,' explained Keith.
'We offer five golf courses for one membership price of £39 a month which is incredibly good value for money. There's also the option to pay-as-you-go, you can just turn up and pay to play on the courses. That's ideal if you find you only really play in the summer for example.'
Booking a tee time on any course is very straightforward too, it can be done via an app or simply calling the course ahead of time to check availability.
As a keen golfer, Keith is always proactive in talking to people about the courses and taking on board their feedback. He said: 'You live or die by the quality of your greens on a golf course, and although we traditionally struggle early in the season due to the aftermath of winter, once the sun finally appears the feedback we receive is fantastic and is testament to not just Sport Aberdeen, but our contractor, idverde UK.'
Keith continued: 'We are delighted that the Quaich Competition is returning to Mackenzie this year and sitting alongside the Kings Links Golf Championship, it reflects that we are invested in the golfing community and are looking to bring additional opportunities to our courses and the city.'
Investments are also being made off the course too. Keith explained: 'This autumn we are also looking to attract additional interest by investing in two highly sophisticated golf simulators that will be based at Get Active@Sheddocksley. This will offer a controlled environment where you can practice without worrying about weather, or time constraints.
'With detailed data on each swing and immediate feedback, your ability to improve specific areas of your game is greatly enhanced, which is of ideal for beginners and experienced golfers alike or for corporate events.'
Keith added: 'At Sport Aberdeen we are trying to break down barriers to people getting involved in sports. We are passionate about golf and see the benefits it brings to people every day.'
