It was a busy week for everyone at Carlow Golf Club as both their Deerpark and Oakpark courses reopened following the lifting of restrictions.
Speaking to KCLR’s Sunday Scoreline, Lady Captain Olive Bowden said that the club has brought some much-needed relief from the pandemic for its members.
She said: “It’s been going great, and people are so happy to be back. You can see that everyone is so excited, and it has been absolutely brilliant.
“We’re just delighted that everyone can enjoy their golf again.”
The club captain Michael Kirwan explained the process that members must go through in order to play.
“We have a golf club app, and you have to book two days in advance so that we can trace and track anyone that has played. It is only open to members at the moment, and it is really safe to play,” said Kirwan.
Kirwan highlighted the magnitude of the reopening of the golf club for its members by revealing the number of people who have returned to play.
“People were just glad to get back playing. There were over 300 people playing on Monday and it’s more than golf, it’s being able to chat with your friends and to begin socialising again.”
Bowden pinpointed the areas that the club are hoping will help develop players irrespective of age or standard.
“We have our ‘Carlow get into Golf’ initiative that has been running for the last six years.
“It allows us to develop the programme and we also have a juvenile programme where we have coaching lessons that give children the chance to enjoy their golf. We are a very proactive club.”
Kirwan also reassured members of the club that they are in a financially sustainable position and thanked club members for their efforts throughout the last year.
“Financially we’re probably in a better position than most clubs. Most of our subs have been collected and they make up more than 70% of our income.
“Our treasurer Michael Ryan has been doing a great job and we have our members to thank for the strong position that we are in.”
You can listen back to the full interview below:
