Golf centre made famous by Bob Torrance set to close

The closure of the facility at sportscotland National Sports Training Centre Inverclyde in Largs was announced in an email circulated to golfers who paid a membership to use it.

It read: “We are writing to let you know that regrettably the centre has made the difficult decision to close the golf training centre permanently, with the last day of operation on 31 March 2026.

“The core aim of the national centre is to provide a venue for residential sports training, however, there has been no usage of golf for this purpose. Given the substantial operating costs, it is not financially viable for the centre to continue a membership-only programme.

“The golf training facility will continue to operate in its current format until 31 March 2026. We’d like to thank you for your support and use of the golf facility over the last few years.”

News was broken ‘with no forewarning’

The decision has been met with shock by Anthony O'Donnell, a PGA professional who is based at the centre.

He told The Scotsman: “I received the news yesterday with no forewarning. “This is a huge blow not only to myself but to all golfers in the area as golf is such a massive part of life in Largs and the surrounding areas.”

Largs man Torrance, who died in 2014, used the range as his base for a number of years, working there with the likes of Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Stephen Gallacher.

Scottish Golf squad sessions were also held at the centre when Torrance, dad of Ryder Cup legend Sam, was the national coach.