THE HIGH-PROFILE fight to save a municipal Scottish golf course goes on - despite council chiefs IGNORING 11th hour pleas from major sporting heroes and celebrities to save it. A year after it was originally saved, West Dunbartonshire Council bosses resolved last night that Dalmuir municipal golf course in Clydebank will close as part of cuts aimed at plugging a £7.7m funding gap. The decision was blamed on a “steady decline in membership costing the Council £145,000 to subsidise in 2024/25”. And it was taken despite a petition gathering more than 3,500 signatures - with celebrities such as Scottish No 1 Bob MacIntyre joining the likes of Paul Lawrie, current US Open champ Bryson DeChambeau and Scotland football hero John McGinn in supporting the battle to keep the course open. Council leader Martin Rooney said: "We all want to do the best for our communities, but the truth is that the continuing financial instability, scarce resource, and the ongoing need to make savings, means it has become impossible to identify options to balance the budget while continuing to provide services in the same way." A council spokesperson said: “Despite significant efforts, regrettably membership and usage of Dalmuir Golf Course has continued to decline. "This meant last year, the Council subsidised the club by more than £145,000 or £805 per member, and this is no longer sustainable. “Our budget gap for 2025/26 was £7.7m and we expect further financial challenges in coming years so we must prioritise protection of the essential services we provide to residents, including education, housing and citizen support.” But as brutal as the outcome was for local golfers, a report in golf magazine Bunkered emerged that local MP Douglas McAllister is set to head up a 'task force' to attempt a community asset transfer of the Clydebank facility. Reports claim former provost McAllister has had assurances from the council that they will continue to operate the course for the immediate future whilst his working group including Scottish Gold CEO Robbie Clyde attempt to transfer the running of the course to the local community. ajor-winning caddie Craig Connelly has been a regular at Dalmuir over the years and he shared a video of DeChambeau calling for the course to be kept open. In the video, Dechambeau says: "What's up everybody, Bryson here. "I am here to tell you about Dalmuir Golf Course and how important a public golf course is to the ecosystem not just of golf in general but the community that you have there. "Sometimes people don't realise the impact of golf and what it can be and can do for a community, whether it's character development, personal growth, learning about yourself or family development in general. "I think it's important for people to understand that if you don't have golf courses like Dalmuir and a community like Dalmuir, it's difficulty to continue to grow. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page