The club that gained 300 new members after lockdown
It was an unexpected, but heartening, consequence of the coronavirus catastrophe. As nations took the tentative steps of opening up after lockdown, and people grasped for any semblance of normality, golf was able to step into the breech – the perfect sport for social distancing.
First in England, and then across the rest of the UK as each country returned cautiously to the fairways, we saw a membership boom as golfers – lapsed, new and casual flocked to sign up.
In Scotland, clubs reported increases of more than 100 per cent of new people joining but few of those could still compete with the astonishing figures at Moray Golf Club.
They’re close to accepting 300 new members and the applications are still arriving on secretary Stevie Grant’s desk.
So in this NCG Podcast, we sat down with Stevie to find out how they did it, how lockdown affected the Lossiemouth club, and whether the new faces will be enough to see them through what still remains an uncertain time for the golf industry.
The NCG Podcast: The membership miracle at Moray
Want more? Head to our podcast homepage.
- Related: Where does Moray Golf Club’s Old and New courses rank in our list of Scotland’s Top 100?
- Related: Did Moray make the GB&I list? Find out here
- Related: The best golf courses in Moray
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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; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
