They became one of the voices of concern during lockdown – expertly articulating the worries of golf clubs as they scrambled to put their finances in order when coronavirus first hit hard.
It feels a long time ago now but those first few weeks after Boris bolted the doors of clubs up and down the country were a whirr of furloughing, subscription sorting and emergency grant claiming.
Essex-based Frinton laid open the “anomaly” that existed for some clubs looking to get hold of the £25,000 grant the Government provided for some businesses operating in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors.
A proviso was that the rateable value of the business – set by the Valuation Office Agency and used by councils to calculate business rate bills – was less than £51,000.
For many clubs, essentially operating as small businesses but with a lot of land in the course, it was vital cash they needed but didn’t appear eligible to receive as they were over the threshold.
At the same, Frinton director Simon Martin-Redman warned the club’s cash balances were being quickly depleted and they faced the possibility of administration if the situation didn’t improve.
So what happened next? Did Frinton get their grant? Did the club bounce back like so many others in the post lockdown participation boom that swept golf last summer?
Martin-Redman, along with club chairman Graeme Dodds, joined me in the latest episode of the From the Clubhouse podcast to discuss an eventful 15-months and look ahead to the future for the seaside club.
Did your club have the grant challenges Frinton Golf Club faced in lockdown? Let me know in the comments, or tweet me.
The From the Clubhouse podcast with Frinton Golf Club
Listen to the full episode, or search ‘The NCG Podcast’ in your preferred podcast platform.
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