“We are also making contact with local schools to encourage their pupils to come along and are looking to organise an inter schools golf competition here later this year,” said vice-captain Graham Bywater. The club has a six-hole Academy course for use by juniors and those beginning to learn the game. It was vital to attract juniors to the game because they were the next generation, said Mr Ree. “Golf is a sport you start and can play all your life, by yourself or as part of a team,” he said. Ellie Broome and Head PGA professional John Twissell are running two ‘Get into Golf’ beginners’ classes - a ladies group and a mixed group. Meanwhile the club has applied to Golf England to be able to help deliver its Girls Golf Rocks initiative.
The course is also a haven for wildlife, including roe deer, rabbits, hares, stoats and weasels. There is a heronry and swans and various varieties of ducks enjoy the lake. “We have put up around 30 bird boxes this year, which have been used by every wild bird you can think of,” said Mr Ree. The clubhouse includes a bar and restaurant and can be hired as a function room. Drinks and food can now be served outside on the terrace and the club is looking forward to when it can offer hospitality indoors. Other facilities include a swing room with launch monitor to track the ball’s launch angle, flight and spin rate; a short game chipping area and a pro shop selling equipment and clothing.
Mr Ree said the pandemic had been tough on the club, suspending its income intermittently over a full year.
The club runs various competitions including opens which are very popular with visitors and is considering trying to host Pro-Am tournaments.
But the club had taken the opportunity during the lockdowns to provide covers for four of its ten driving range bays and to refurbish the clubhouse. The greenkeeping team had continued to work and had improved the playing surfaces.
A variety of membership deals are available but people can book to play even if they are not members. “We just want people to come to the club to play a game of golf and hopefully they will be impressed and want to play again or join the club,” said Mr Bywater.
It had been ‘frustrating’ not to be able to play golf for so long and there was now a sense of ‘total relief’ that players could get back on the course, said Mr Ree. The club was established in 1906 and has been at its present site since 1991. The 18-hole course measures 6,594 yards and is laid out in more than 160 acres of spectacular countryside. The layout provides two nine-hole loops out and back to the clubhouse. Each of the holes has its own unique character and has four tee options, providing different degrees of difficulty. The River Lune and Barbon Beck both run through the course, which offers amazing views of Barbon Fell and the Howgills.
Mr Towers said the elements that made Kirkby Lonsdale Golf Club special were that it was friendly and inclusive, its wonderful location and the quality of the course.
015242 76366 www.kirkbylonsdalegolfclub.com getintouch@kirkbylonsdalegolfclub.com
