A golf course near Glasgow that earned the support of Major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Rose is to close over funding issues.

West Dunbartonshire Council said it could no longer afford to subsidise Dalmuir Golf Course after a steady decline in membership.

The local authority announced the decision as part of a package to close a £7.7m funding gap, which included an 11.5% increase in council tax.

More than 3,500 people had signed a petition to keep the course open, arguing that closure would cut off a way for working class people to get involved the sport.

The council said it would explore opportunities for the course to be passed into the hands of the local community via an asset transfer.

It said it spent about £145,000 subsidising the course in the last year, equating to about £805 per member.

A spokeswoman for the council said: “Despite significant efforts, regrettably membership and usage of Dalmuir Golf Course has continued to decline.

“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.”

Two-time US open champion DeChambeau appeared in a video posted by long-time tour caddie Craig Connelly on X.

The major winner stressed the importance a club can have in the community where Connelly lives.

A number of other world-class golfers including Rose, Paul McGinley, Luke Donald and Robert MacIntyre also gave their backing for the course to stay open.

Craig Connelly, who grew up using the Dalmuir course, told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme there had been no investment in it.

“We probably all knew deep down that this was probably going to be the judgement. It’s very disappointing to say the least,” he said.

“I know times are tough but there’s been no investment in it for, particularly the past five years, but probably over the last 20 years.

“They [the council] have pulled back and pulled back but you shouldn’t expect to get anything out of it if you don’t invest in it. This is just really, really disappointing.

“But where there’s a will there’s a way and we’ll just keep fighting to save it.”

He said he hoped a community asset transfer would be the answer.

“I think that’s probably the only way forward. Hopefully we can save it that way,” he said.

Mr Connelly added: “If it wasn’t for Dalmuir I don’t know where I’d be today. It’s given me everything – I’m just grateful that I’ve had that opportunity. It is important that we try and save it.”

He said lack of investment in Clydebank over the years had “ripped the heart out” of the area, adding that there was nothing left for young people.

“We need to reinvest in youth because they are the future,” he said. “If we can save Dalmuir and do something with it hopefully that will go a long way for kids to try something different and give them some kind of pathway.”

The course was saved from closure last year and it is home to a number of clubs in the area including Clydeview Cleddans, Clydebank Overtoun, Kilbowie and Radnor golf clubs.

Councillors weighed up various options, including whether to increase membership costs, reduce the course to 12 holes or close it completely, before coming to a decision.

Funding for the Loch Lomond Highland Games was also removed as part of the money saving measures.

Gerry Smith, who launched the petition for the course to remain open, said prior to the decision that a community asset transfer would be looked at for the course – which would let the local community take it over.

Craig McLaren, of Clydebank and Overtoun Golf Club, said locals feared the area could become a “wasteland” if it closed.

He added that the course had “gone downhill” in recent years and that West Dunbartonshire Council had not managed to do minor tasks such as updating the course’s website with correct information.