Like many golf clubs in the UK, Kirkby Lonsdale Golf Club has seen a huge surge in membership in the past year, with numbers at the Yorkshire venue rising from 350 to 450 over the last 12 months.
The number of visitors has also significantly increased, with group bookings for the new golf season already at a record high. The number of members aged under 30 has also enjoyed a marked upturn.
The picturesque club, which nestles in the Lune Valley between Kirkby Lonsdale and Barbon, is benefiting from a boom in interest in golf nationally and from a series of its own initiatives.
There has been a large increase in the number of female members, driven initially by three Get Into Golf six-week beginners’ courses run by PGA Trainee Professional Ellie Broome. The club has subsequently set up weekly women-only coaching sessions.
Broome has also boosted the number of junior members by running weekly sessions for youngsters of different ages and abilities and organising junior coaching camps during school holidays.
The club successfully applied to England Golf to run its Girls Golf Rocks courses, which encourage beginner girls aged from 5-18 to learn and play golf in a fun and friendly way. Two six-week Girls Golf Rocks courses were held and, since then, many of the girls who took part have joined junior groups at the club.
“With the new ladies and juniors, we are aiming to create a pathway towards membership,” explained the club’s Head PGA Professional John Twissell. “It’s not just about giving them lessons; it’s about taking them out on to the course and letting them experience what it has to offer.”
Club captain Graham Bywater explained the rising popularity of golf and the increase in membership and visitors meant the club could afford to make a number of improvements to the course and facilities. For example, renovations were taking place in the men’s toilets, showers and changing rooms and there were plans to make improvements to the bar and restaurant area inside the clubhouse and to expand the patio and terrace.
“The bunkers are being renovated, we have taken on additional greenkeeping staff and upgraded the greenkeeping machinery,” said Mr Bywater.
Oher initiatives include offering corporate membership, which also gives local companies the opportunity to sponsor a tee. And, on April 24, a ‘bring a buddy day’ will be held, where members can bring along three people as guests to introduce them to the club.
Kirkby Lonsdale Golf 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.