CLIFTONVILLE Golf Club say work to cut down trees on their land is part of "ongoing course design".
The North Belfast News was contacted by concerned residents on the Westland Road, who woke up on Wednesday morning to the sight and sound of trees being cut down on the course.
"I couldn’t believe it when I woke up this morning and saw all the trees felled. I live on the Westland Road opposite the golf course," one resident told us.
Another resident added: "It was like a massacre cutting all the trees down. They are inside the golf course itself. The trees have been there for probably 90 years."
Hugh Daly, Honorary Secretary of Cliftonville Golf Club pointed us to a letter to club members, explaining that the work is part of ongoing design of the golf course.
“As part of the major works being carried out on the course over the next few weeks, our intent is to minimise the impact on your playing the course as much as possible," the letter read.
"We have been tree felling on the course for the first time in many years. Most of the trees on the first and ninth have gone.
"This is to minimise maintenance on this area and allow the greens staff to focus on the course we are retaining in the future.
"We will also prune out as many trees on the rest of the course as we can afford and again in line with future course design needs. Nearly every tree we fell will be replaced as part of ongoing course design.”
Residents also raised with us rumours that part of Cliftonville Golf Club's land is to be sold for social housing.
In response, the golf club said: "While we are in initial discussions with Radius Housing relating to the potential for development on a portion of the course, the works being undertaken are solely related to course maintenance."
