This club is offering free golf during the corona-crisis

You thought Happy Mondays were just a band. As fear and anxiety grips over the coronavirus crisis, one Somerset club has tried to lighten the mood – and keep people active – by offering free golf.

For an initial period of four weeks starting from March 23, Orchardleigh Golf & Country Club will “welcome members of the public for games of golf, completely free of charge, all-day, every Monday”.

Owner Chris Vincent said the club wanted to help foster a sense of community spirit by helping people to maintain activity levels and get out in the fresh air.

“We’re living in difficult and uncertain times at the moment,” he said. “Like all businesses, we’re taking precautions, however we’re also keen to do our bit to support the public’s need to be outside for their own mental wellbeing, without compromising the Government’s social distancing efforts.

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“We hope that by offering free weekly golf sessions we’ll encourage visitors to make the most of the vast open space on offer at Orchardleigh whilst keeping active, mentally stimulated and honouring social distancing as per the Government advice.

“Of course, if stricter measures come into force and we’re all advised to stay at home then we’ll need to stop the initiative. However, we’re hoping to offer it for as long as possible. We’re all keen to keep things going, and this was one way we felt we could potentially use our facilities to help people keep their spirits up in very testing times.”

While the golf course will be open, the clubhouse will be closed to the public and players are encouraged to bring any necessary refreshments with them

For more information, visit Orchardleigh Golf & Country Club’s website. Follow NCG on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.