Local clubs ensure that golf is not just for the elite

Barney Ronay is right to criticise the pro golfers taking part in the Saudi-backed LIV events (In their naked self-interest, LIV golfers are being refreshingly true to the sport’s roots, 11 June). However, golf has never been the bastion of elitism that he implies.

At my local club in Edinburgh, junior memberships start at £10 a month – and we pay £29 per month for our 13-year-old to be a member of a football team. A senior member playing twice a week will pay about £7 per round. The club has 15 membership categories, with a sliding scale of fees to make the game affordable to as many people as possible; such inclusive pricing models are common at other clubs.

Also, you don’t need “hundreds of pounds of equipment” to play golf. I could easily buy a workable set of secondhand clubs for around the price of the new Liverpool FC kit.

I am a classroom assistant. I don’t earn enough to pay one penny in tax. Are there golf venues that I can’t afford to visit? Sure. Are there clubs with membership fees way beyond my means? Certainly. Are there clubs that might balk at accepting a humble classroom assistant as a member, even if I could afford the fees? Probably – but only a tiny fraction of the 550 clubs in Scotland. Derek HaswellEdinburgh

As a director of Whitby Golf Club (a voluntary and unpaid role) on a majority-female board, I read Barney Ronay’s article with a mixture of anger and disappointment. All professional sports are far removed from grassroots participation – when was the last time the local kids were allowed a quick kickabout on the turf in their local sports stadium?

Many golf courses have public access through footpaths and rights of way. Here at Whitby, our course is located on a stretch of heritage coastline