Carrick-on-Suir Golf Club speaks out about 'unwelcome' rival bid for part of its land assets

Carrick-on-Suir Golf Club has informed a consortium understood to have assembled a rival bid for part of the club’s land assets that their intervention is “unwelcome” and its members are determined to fight to keep control of the club.

The consortium that includes some local people and others with an association with Carrick-on-Suir and its hinterland, has been accused by Carrick Golf Club of being “opportunistic”.

In a statement, the club said the rival bid was a challenge to Carrick Golf Club’s members’ efforts to resolve the club’s legacy debt issue.

It reiterated that the club’s members have given the management committee a strong mandate to maintain the club as being owned and managed by its members as a community facility.

To achieve this, the club’s members and supporters have assembled the financial resources for a viable bid that enables the club to continue as a members club rather than a commercial venture.

Armed with the financial resources it has assembled, the club has submitted a proposal to the receiver and loan holders. Carrick Golf Club said its members were determined to fight to keep the club with “all measures at their disposal”.

The club said a deadline of Wednesday, May 24 has been set for final formal bids to be lodged with the receiver appointed to part of the club’s land assets on the instructions of the holders of the club’s loan, Everyday Finance DAC and affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management.

“The club has asked the consortium previously for comprehensive details of their bid and an explanation as to how this might impact on the club and its members.

“To date no detail has been supplied. However, the club is aware the consortium are canvassing locally. But in the absence of firm, costed and credible plans, the club is attempting to evaluate this third party threat to its existence with a host of rumours circulating locally.

“In these circumstances, the club has informed the consortium that their intervention is unwelcome.”

Carrick Golf Club added that it did not see any benefit in replacing its community asset with a commercial venture.

“The club is determined to defend the mandate that has been set by club members to keep the club in the ownership and control of the members, as it has since its foundation in 1939.”

The Nationalist attempted to contact a member of the rival consortium for comment on Carrick Golf Club’s statement but didn’t receive a response.