Bad golfers seal fate of Torquay seafront course

Council says enough is enough after damage to historic building's roof

Torquay’s seafront pitch-and-putt golf course is to be axed after more than 60 years because bad players keep damaging a historic building with wayward shots.

Torbay Council has confirmed that the attraction in front of historic Torre Abbey and the Spanish Barn will go.

From November, the land taken up by the nine-hole course between the barn and the seafront will be ‘repurposed and returned to community use’.

Reports of the golf course’s demise have been circulating for months on social media, where comments include “another nail in Torquay’s coffin. Really not much left to do here now, is there?” and “‘What's wrong with this council? We are a tourist destination and they are killing it.”

More than 750 people have signed an online petition to save the facility. The petition says the course is ‘literally the last public amenity to enjoy in Torquay’.

It goes on: “It has been lovingly maintained for many years and really gives something to the community. Its closure will leave no communal amenity for us to use, other than tennis courts, throughout the year.

“Please help save this loved place.”

The council has been debating the future of the pitch and putt course since a report from council officers in January highlighted damage done to the Spanish Barn’s roof by wayward golf balls.

The report said the council should review the pitch-and-putt contract to see if it is still the most appropriate use of the land in front of the barn, particularly in light of the ‘ongoing damage’ and annual repair costs to the roof.

A rare medieval tithe barn with Grade One listing status, it got its name after being used to house prisoners from the Spanish Armada in the sixteenth century.

The whole 17.8-acres of Torre Abbey is a scheduled monument, which is the highest designation available in this country and is the same as that held by Stonehenge.

The best-preserved monastic ruins in Devon and Cornwall are on the site, much of them below the surface.

Now the council is exploring how the risk of damage to the Spanish Barn can be reduced and says it is exploring alternative uses for the area which will maximise its archaeological history.

In a statement, the council added: “The recommendation has been carefully considered by the council, looking at how the pitch-and-putt land can be repurposed and returned to community use; how the entire site can be better managed to protect its scheduled monument status; how restoration projects can move forward in line with legal obligations and funding requirements and how income generation opportunities can be maximised to support a financially sustainable future for Torre Abbey.

“Taking all things into consideration, the decision has been made to terminate the current tenancy, with the land being taken back into Torre Abbey’s management from 1 November 2024.”

Putting the land back into community use will be the next phase of a huge restoration programme at the abbey, with potential funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The council says future uses could include sustainable planting, green sports infrastructure, play and events.