They laid bare the ‘anomaly’ in covid grants – but what happened to Frinton?
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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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; Caley 01T irons 4-PW; TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedges, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
