View Full Version : Wick Golf Club v Dog Walkers
stevog1184
04-Mar-17, 14:02
Wick Golf Club have now fenced off the access to the dunes, meaning dog walkers and alike can not access the dunes now. Thoughts ?
stevog1184
04-Mar-17, 14:52
Afraid not, the fence at the car park now runs down past the bench....in simple terms you can only walk along the beach. I agree the club have to look out for their interests and people not picking up dog poo on the golf course is unacceptable but the way in which the club have gone about it is a little childish
rubber_duck
05-Mar-17, 12:14
So does that mean people now have to cross the golf course to walk along the dunes? It seems like they will be making whatever their problem is worse, not better.
Who owns the land around the golf course, and do the farmers still have sheep grazing there?
2little2late
06-Mar-17, 23:38
Well done Wick golf club. If lazy dog walkers can't be bothered to pick up barkers eggs after their dogs I would do the same. The next best thing to happen would be for the Council to ban dogs from Reiss beach.
Recycle it
07-Mar-17, 10:18
Well done Wick golf club. If lazy dog walkers can't be bothered to pick up barkers eggs after their dogs I would do the same. The next best thing to happen would be for the Council to ban dogs from Reiss beach.
funny how we all jump onto the bandwagon to BAN anything that meets " what's in Vogue " and yes dog owners have a legal responsibility to clear up after their dogs. It's a pity that CAT owners DONT have to do the same, there ain't a garden that's not got flower beds covered in the stuff. Dog mess is a hazard anywhere it's dropped, be that in the street where buggie owners and blind people have an horrendous time with this mess. It's about Councill's calling TIME on owners that don't follow the rules. Bring back community officers with the ability to hand out fines for the law breakers. At the same time council should get tough on those who allow their bins to foul the street with rubbish ,under the rules it's fly tipping with fines reaching into tens of thousands . Should the call be " NO MORE MESS".
Thing is it's futile because of the Right to roam....landowners in Scotland are legally obliged to allow access to their land. Fence or no fence - you can walk on the land.
Houses, Gardens, Airfield and airport land and military bases are exempt - don't even try it unless you want a holiday in prison, lol.
Not strictly true though is it.
if you have a crop growing access is not permitted
i suspect the golf club are trying to make things awkward for the dog walkers by erecting the fences rather, and as long as the fence is on their boundary then that is their call
Not strictly true though is it.
if you have a crop growing access is not permitted
Lost golf balls aren't a crop.
fingalmacool
07-Mar-17, 23:42
As a golfer of sorts and a responsible dog owner, I will continue to use cross a golf course with my mutt as long as I am not interfering with any play, there are lots of grey areas with tresspass and the right to roam but as it stands in Scotland there is little recourse for people that abuse it, shame on them
2little2late
08-Mar-17, 02:04
Lost golf balls aren't a crop.
Neither are barker's eggs.
stevog1184
08-Mar-17, 08:55
The Golf Club are clearly making things awkward for dog walkers and I think it was the wrong way to go about things. I can see it from their side, having dog poo on the course is a problem they shouldn't have to put up with however signage would have been the first reasonable step.
Someone has pulled up a section of the fence now so you can access the dunes again.
So is this pulling up a section of fence a good move by responsible dog owners, just a prank, vandalism or just someone taking the law into their own hands and trying to show the golf club that they can't fence off their land?
So is this pulling up a section of fence a good move by responsible dog owners, just a prank, vandalism or just someone taking the law into their own hands and trying to show the golf club that they can't fence off their land?
Sounds like criminal damage to me
Thing is it's futile because of the Right to roam....landowners in Scotland are legally obliged to allow access to their land. Fence or no fence - you can walk on the land.
Houses, Gardens, Airfield and airport land and military bases are exempt - don't even try it unless you want a holiday in prison, lol.
There is also advice about access to golf courses:
http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/Practical-guide/public/golf-courses
But have people also considered that fencing off sand dunes is not unusual? This is the case in St Andrews where the dunes need to be protected against destruction of the grasses which bind the dunes together (thus preventing erosion of the dunes):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_dune_stabilization
and
http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/heritagemanagement/erosion/appendix_1.4.shtml
But have people also considered that fencing off sand dunes is not unusual? This is the case in St Andrews where the dunes need to be protected against destruction of the grasses which bind the dunes together (thus preventing erosion of the dunes):
http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/heritagemanagement/erosion/appendix_1.4.shtml
That is fencing designed to act as a windbreak, not to keep people off the dunes. Not seen the fence in question, is it to prevent access or a windbreak?
stevog1184
08-Mar-17, 13:25
protecting the grasses has never been highlighted by SNH. There has never been any warning given by them to indicate there was a problem. Locals have used the dunes to walk and wander for many years so why now is it a problem?
protecting the grasses has never been highlighted by SNH. There has never been any warning given by them to indicate there was a problem. Locals have used the dunes to walk and wander for many years so why now is it a problem?
Has anyone actually officially stated that it is a problem?
Trespass by walking isn't a crime in Scotland even if it is on a golf course.
The link to the access code is futile as it speaks more of advice for personal safety and courtesy.....there is no crime.
Damaging a crop could be construed as Vandalism, however, farmers HAVE to allow access to the margins of fields where crops grow. See part 2 paragraph 2;
http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/A309336.pdf
I would dare anyone to prevent access to their land. There are bodies of activists who challenge this behaviour and their attention can be unwanted and very negative for landowners.
The take home message is;
1) You have the right to roam within the definition of the law
2) Be courteous and responsible
3) Leave land as you find it and remove all waste
it's really about respecting other people's property whilst enjoying the use of it. Dogdoo on the golf course would make it unpleasant for a player who stands in it or who's ball lands in it so not a nice occurrence and the decent thing for a respectable dog owner to do would be to clean it up and respect the land which many i am sure already do....but on the other side of the coin, how would the irresponsible mob of dog owners feel if someone who has the right to roam with their dog, wander into and through their garden and let the dog do its business without cleaning it up? I'm sure they would be pretty narked....if the shoe fits....
Or if a walker or Fido happened to get caught by a stray golf ball
Was at the golf club the other day and was speaking to Donald and he said the fence is only a start,he said that they are going to build a wall the hole length of the course!!!
Was at the golf club the other day and was speaking to Donald and he said the fence is only a start,he said that they are going to build a wall the hole length of the course!!!
I wish them well with that project!
Was at the golf club the other day and was speaking to Donald and he said the fence is only a start,he said that they are going to build a wall the hole length of the course!!!
And his Trump card is that the dog walkers will pay for it :-)
stevog1184
14-Mar-17, 10:02
A wall would be a good idea.....it means people can still use the dunes and won't need to go on to the course at any point. That being said, I'll believe it when I see it. I'm a time served stone mason and wouldn't like to hazard a guess at how much that will cost ��
the club could always organise a "learn how to build a drystone wall" event and charge the punters £80 each for the priviledge of building their wall for them :-)
Michael Dennis
14-Mar-17, 11:13
the club could always organise a "learn how to build a drystone wall" event and charge the punters £80 each for the priviledge of building their wall for them :-) Sorry to disappoint Shaggy but Trump has already stolen that idea. He is going to teach Mexicans how to drystone 6 meter high dykes and charge them $20 an hour to learn.
A 6m tall lesbian??
you sure
Pronounced "dick."
Completely different.
Pronounced "dick."
Completely different.
now I'm confuzzled
we speaking of transgenders now?
its all happening in Week innit
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