A fresh volley of shots has been fired in an increasingly bitter row over a multi-million-pound takeover bid at a Scottish golf club, which has left members battling among each other.
Fractures at the Glen Golf Club — which sits in East Lothian, about an hour east of Edinburgh — are said to have now deteriorated so much that members on opposing sides can no longer bear to sit in the clubhouse together.
Opponents of moves by private investors The Ancient Links Golf Company (TALGC) to take over running it in return for around £8 million of investment, have been branded a “patriarchy” and accused of intimidation and attempting to dictate to other members how to vote on the issue.
The row has cast a shadow over the North Berwick club, which occupies
a prime position overlooking the Bass Rock and which TALGC has expressed interest in adding to its growing portfolio of Scottish clubs.
The bitter exchange comes as members at the Glen prepare to vote next week on whether the club should continue considering TALGC’s approach.
A "no" vote would bring the current proposal to an end.
However, a majority "yes" vote would signal further negotiations and investigation of the deal, including what opponents claim will be a costly due diligence exercise.
Once complete, members will be asked to approve or reject any final agreement.
The TALGC approach has created deep divisions within the club’s membership, with Friends of The Glen, which includes former club officials, and website Save the Glen arguing against the move and raising concerns over its potential future impact.
They have claimed the club does not need investment, and with a waiting list of members plus healthy income, can survive without external cash.
They pushed for a no-confidence vote in the current club’s board of management, launched a protest song and last week unveiled a new website which lays out what it claims to be a viable alternative to the TALGC offer.
Now an opposition group calling itself The Silenced of the Glen has shot back with a fierce condemnation of their tactics.
In a stinging salvo, they accuse opponents of the investment proposals of being responsible for creating fractures within the clubhouse.
A statement issued by representative Pam Chisholm states: “Sadly, all is not sweetness and light as we feel unable to sit in the clubhouse any more without one of the group expounding on why they are the only ones with any idea how to sort out our issues.
“It was intimidating to ask a question that might hint at a favourable view of the TALGC offer at any of the open meetings held.
“Why do 20-30 predominantly 70+ year old men feel they can dictate what to think and how to vote to 660 remaining voting members?”
The statement accuses opponents of the investment proposals of having taken an instantly negative stance against the TALGC offer without, they say, having fully investigated the investors’ impact at other clubs they have struck deals with.
Who is the American at the heart of this takeover?
TALGC, which is backed by U.S.-based investor Douglas Cifu, has partnership agreements in place with Scotscraig and Forfar golf clubs, both of which are said to have benefited from investments since the deals were struck.
Cifu, the vice chairman and alternate governor of the Florida Panthers, was suspended by the NHL in 2025 for "unacceptable and inappropriate" posts on social media.
In a back-and-forth exchange with a Toronto fan on X (formerly Twitter) that began with comments about the ongoing playoff series between the Maple Leafs and Panthers, the topic switched to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Eat (expletive) 51st state anti-semite loser," one of Cifu's posts read. "Israel now and forever. Until ever (sic) last Hamas rat is eliminated."
Because of the suspension, Cifu's name was not engraved on the Stanley Cup when the Panthers won the 2025 title.
Glen row escalated
The Silenced of the Glen statement adds: “The minute the TALGC offer of £8 million was raised by the management committee to the general membership, this group instantly declared that they had a plan and that they would present this to one and all.
“No plan was forthcoming, apparently because they wanted the Management Committee to write the financial plan for them.
“They talked about due diligence, but not one of the group has been to Scotscraig or Forfar Golf club to see what TALGC had achieved in a short space of time.”
Ill feeling between the opposing sides escalated after an open meeting when individual members of the management committee were asked if they would financially benefit from the TALGC plan.
The statement adds: “The committee are just a few people who want to do their best for the club under increasingly difficult circumstances.
“We were all slightly taken aback that, after the Vote of No Confidence was lost overwhelmingly, the Save the Glen now had a shiny new website of their own plus a plan.”
The statement also attacked the opposition group members, claiming they include previous club captains who missed opportunities to carry out improvements to the clubhouse and facilities.
“There are structural issues which could have been addressed earlier if there had been a rolling maintenance program. Shall we say there were missed opportunities to address the damp and mould in the pro shop, which will cost considerably more now to fix.
“For eight years a female employee had no appropriate facilities for changing, toilet or washing.
“So here we have a group with rather unsuccessful tenures as captains wanting to lead the club into borrowing and raising levies, at the members’ risk, to follow their path again.”
It adds: “The 'Save the Glen' talk of ‘democracy’ but act as a ‘patriarchy’."
Another member of the club, who called themselves John Smith, said members who are willing to listen to the TALGC proposals are "afraid to be named due to the toxic atmosphere created by the ‘Save the Glen’ supporters."
In a statement to club members following the defeated no-confidence vote, the Glen's management committee told of having been swamped by questions from opponents of the proposals and added: "It appears … that certain elements within the club do not wish to engage on any level with the current management structure.
"The impression gained appears to be these individuals know 'what is best' for the members and that their plan is the only one, whatever it may be, that is correct for the future viability of the Glen Golf Club."
It added: "We are a small number of volunteers who are striving to do our best to support the club we love and in relation to the specific TALGC proposal, present the members with information so that they can make an informed decision as to how we proceed."
Within a few months of its launch, TALGC took on Scotscraig in Tayport and Forfar Golf Club as part of moves to create a portfolio of Scottish clubs.
It also approached Longniddry Golf Club in East Lothian, and discussions are ongoing between TALGC and members of Southerness Golf Club on the edge of the Solway coast.
The company has also sought a 99-year partnership with Montrose Golf Links, which has been subject to a public consultation by Angus Council.
On a new website, The Save the Glen group has claimed the club does not need the TALGC investment and claims its alternative governance model for the club shows it could generate enough future surpluses to fund major improvements.
It has also raised concerns about TALGC's ownership and investment structure. The campaign claims company documents indicate that investors could ultimately have rights to force a future sale of TALGC and its golf club interests.
Alan Nesbit of Friends of the Glen said: "We have never dictated how members should vote.
"We have only campaigned to have information provided to the members on the future plans for the club and the financial outlook so an informed decision can be made.
"We feel that if we had not lobbied for this the members would only have been given a very one-sided position.
"If any good has come from this TALGC unsolicited approach, it has given the club a kick up the backside to make a forward plan and have the members input and agreement to this."
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Members clash over 'toxic' Scottish golf club takeover bid (and an American is behind it)
