By Ben Philip

Golf may be one of Scotland's most popular global exports, but there are troubling signs the game is rapidly falling out of favour in the country that gave the sport its start.

Two of Scotland's courses have announced imminent closures this week, underlining the challenges facing the game.

An ageing population, a lack of time and cost have all been blamed. And with 5000 players giving up the game each year, pressure is on to find a way to bring golfers back to the greens.

Scottish Golf chief executive Andrew McKinlay said: "We have to adapt to modern society and if you want to get kids into the game, we might need to change certain things."

The latest KPMG Golf Participation Report for Europe states that there are around 190,000 registered golfers in Scotland - down 27% since 2005.

Mr McKinlay said the game needs to appeal to younger players if it's going to add more players in the coming years.

He said: "Like so many other things in life, people are consuming things in a different way and we have to adapt to that", adding that a move toward nine-hole courses is an example of the industry adapting to lifestyle changes among players.

He said: "A lot of people these days seem to be struggling for time compared to days gone by."

Camperdown will shut next year as Dundee City Council concentrates its municipal golf offering at nearby Caird Park.

On Sunday, Mount Ellen Golf Club in Glasgow shut its doors after going bankrupt - devastating for members and the local community.

Club secretary Gerry Ward said: "It's funereal. This golf club provides a really important facility for its members. We have a lot of elderly members and if it closes, these people won't leave the house - it's tragic."

Those within the sport knows they have work to do. One initiative in Aberdeen offers youngsters a chance to access golf facilities and free memberships on council courses.

"For us it's about making golf as accessible as possible," said Calum McIntyre from Sport Aberdeen. "We don't have the luxury of other sports where kids can just go out and drop down a football and play in the local park.

"There's definitely a few barriers for golf and just from providing equipment to allowing them access out on the golf course, we aim to remove those barriers."

There are still around 560 golf courses with full tee sheets and tournaments drawing record-breaking crowds.

Mr McKinlay admitted although club membership is declining, he's not convinced the sport is in any sort of trouble.

He said: "We have to adapt to modern society and if you want to get kids into the game, we might need to change certain things.

"Golf will always thrive in Scotland, we have the most amazing product in the world, let's be positive about it."