'Real loss to the island' if golf course closes

The association representing golfers in Jersey says it hopes Les Mielles Golf and Country Club will not close.

The site in St Peter is currently up for sale with a guide price of £9.95m.

A petition calling for it to be bought by the government has received support from Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham.

President of Jersey Golf Juanita Adlington said the site should remain a golf course as "it would be a real loss to the island to lose this facility".

The current owners have described describe the golf and country club as an "efficient business" with hopes for a "smooth transition" and said they would honour all existing memberships and prepaid subscriptions "for the current term".

Director of golf and co-owner Jonathan Le Brun said there was "potential for Les Mielles to evolve into a modern club where golf meets lifestyle".

However, there have been calls for the government to help buy the site, with suggestions of returning some or all of it to nature.

Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham said he "fancied it coming into public ownership somehow", drawing comparisons with previous moves at Greve de Lecq and Plemont.

President of Jersey Golf Juanita Adlington said there were six golf courses on the island and the demand for the sport was there.

"La Moye and the Royal both have long waiting lists for membership and Les Ormes and St Clements are both almost at capacity, with the same applying to Wheatlands," she added.

Adlington urged any potential buyer to "not lose sight of the benefits of golf".

She said: "Golf is excellent for those requiring a first step back into sport, you can play the game socially or competitively and golf gives something to all.

"Being outside is great for your mental health.

"The camaraderie and friendships that are formed through golf and I certainly know that the older ladies in the clubs find the support of the golfing friends so important when they lose their partners and the same does apply for the men."

The president said the ladies section at Les Mielles had made great efforts to encourage women to play golf, but if they cannot "give them a pathway into the sport, its a bit like teaching them to play football and with no pitch to play on".

She also pointed to the success of Adam Dalton, a player with a congenital limb deficiency, as an example of the sports ability to provide "pathways to allow everyone to participate".

"I hope that there is someone out there who might have the foresight to look at Les Mielles for the potential it has and it would be wonderful to see it back to its glory days," she added.