The Conservative Environment spokesman, Damian Green, Member of Parliament for Ashford, (Kent), has attacked a Labour amendment to the Countryside and Rights of Way Bill which would force golf courses to allow ramblers to walk across the course.
The Labour Member, Gordon Prentice, has tabled an amendment which would remove golf courses from the list of types of land on which free access for everyone is not allowed.
“This Labour amendment would allow anyone to walk across a golf course, disrupting play, whether inadvertently or deliberately,” said Mr Green. “It would be dangerous for walkers and hugely irritating for golfers. Mr Prentice, whom the Government has chosen to sit on the committee, has already said he wants to use the Bill to ban hunting. Apparently, he also wants to make life miserable for golfers as well.”