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Moray golf club hit by fall in golfers since fire

Owners Andy and Angela Burnett
Owners Andy and Angela Burnett

The owners of a fire-hit Moray golf club fear it could have to close if players continue to stay away.

There has been a dramatic drop in the number of people using Covesea Links since its cafe was destroyed by a blaze last month.

An average of 100 golfers used to visit every day before the Tee Shack was reduced to a shell by fire.

On three days last week, just two players took to the nine-hole course on the outskirts of Lossiemouth.

Owners Andy and Angela Burnett are now desperate to let players know that it is still open.

Mr Burnett, who designed and built the course himself a decade ago, said: “So many people seem to think that because the cafe is closed the course must be too.

“With the weather as it is at the moment we should be really busy, but we’re the exact opposite.

“The fire has been a disaster for us, especially as so much work went into building up the course and the cafe.

“The cafe was incredibly popular – not just with golfers, but with families, pensioners and people who’d never played a round of golf in their lives.

“We opened it five years ago and the place had just been going from strength to strength ever since.”

It took 30 firefighters more than two hours to bring the blaze on June 19 under control.

The cafe, with its stunning views of both the course and Moray Firth, was one of the most popular attractions in the regions.

Describing the night of the blaze, Mr Burnett said: “Angela rang me in tears saying that the Tee Shack was on fire, but I didn’t want to believe it.

“I drove back from Elgin and first saw the smoke as I came past the RAF Lossiemouth air base.

“I was still praying that it was all a mistake and that it was actually some gorse that had caught fire.

“To come round the corner and see the fire engines and the cafe up in flames was totally heartbreaking.”

Despite the devastating setback, the couple, who live at Kingston, are determined to try to bounce back.

Their plan is to try to survive the winter and begin rebuilding the cafe next year when the insurance money is paid out.

Mr Burnett, who bought the site a decade ago and spent thousands of hours transforming it into a golf course along with his brother Graeme, said: “As soon as I saw the place I fell in love with it completely.

“We’ve always run the place without any airs and graces – everyone is welcome to come and play.

“A lot of hard work has gone into this. I just hope that things pick up soon.

“The only good news to come out of this is that the 10 part-time staff we had at the cafe have all found other jobs. I’m really happy because they were all marvellous.”

The course, which is just off the B9040 Lossiemouth-Hopeman road is open every day from 9am-8pm.