QUEENS PARK golf professional Richard Hill, who has been made redundant by Bournemouth Council, fears for the future of a course that celebrates its centenary next year.

Hill has spent the last 21 years at Queens Park but has seen the operation decline.

He said "It's a great shame as it used to be a gold mine. Now it is more like a tin mine."

"There is talk of the council putting the operation out to tender next year. But I see it as the beginning of the end. I give it another three years.

"It is ridiculous for a place like Queens Park not to have a golf pro, but the council seem to have their own agenda.

"It cost £300,000 to put the course in order to comply with the health, safety and insurance requirements about four years ago. It urgently requires more investment.

"They must get the condition of the course right. I believe they will suffer because other courses in the area will be a better proposition.

"I went there on Sunday and, although it was a nice day, there was hardly anybody playing."

First year trainee Jamie Somerville, 22, will run the golf side under the Bournemouth Council Leisure Centre department that operates Littledown, Stokewood and Kinson.

The course once held major professional tournaments and was rated among the best municipal lay-outs in the country.

Hill, aged 45, had been making plans to celebrate Queens Park's centenary next year. He was arranging a Pro-am and a centenary golf week, but that has obviously been shelved.

As a player Hill was captain of the Bournemouth Alliance in 1987 and rejoined last year after a lengthy absence. He intends playing again from next month.

Born in Scunthorpe, he arrived in Dorset in 1977 and spent his first year with Bill Cruickshank at Knighton Heath. He joined Doug Sewell at Ferndown where he stayed for six years until moving on to Queens Park under John Sharkey in 1983.

In addition to managing the golf operation at Queens Park he also taught at the par three Solent Meads course at Hengistbury Head.

He is about to teach full-time at Bournemouth Driving Range at Parley Court, near Hurn - the 30-bay range and nine-hole course where teaching pros Peter Thompson, Chris Brook and Jane Miles are also based.

He developed a thriving junior section at Queens Park and the youngsters are now moving with him to Parley Court.

Hill's philosophical final comment was: "This might turn into a good move for me, but I shall still be interested to see what else turns up."

John Sharkey, president of the Bournemouth Alliance and the Dorset PGA said: "I find it all very sad to have moved from an era when we attracted the best players in Europe to the stage when we now have no professional at all.

"I find it unbelievable. The council have lost interest in Queens Park as a sporting facility. They haven't kept it up to scratch. You can only keep a course going by promoting it and that hasn't been done."

Queens Park has been struck off the list of venues for both the PGA and the Bournemouth Alliance. The Alliance meeting on June 16 has now been switched to Dudsbury.

The West Region of the PGA have regularly used Queens Park for the annual Bournemouth Festival in September, but will now use other courses where PGA professionals are employed.