GB&I Walker Cup captain Stuart Wilson has turned back the clock to take charge of The Blairgowrie Golf Club in Scotland.
The former Amateur champion has succeeded Steven Morgan as managing secretary of the Perthshire club after 15 years in a similar role with his home town club Forfar.
Wilson took up the reins this week, with pandemic restrictions and the winter weather presenting immediate challenges.
“There’s not many clubs I would have moved to from my home club, but this is one of them,” said Wilson. “I have had a close affinity with Blairgowrie since I left school and spent two seasons working in the shop for long-time professional Gordon Kinnoch. I also had the huge honour of captaining the European Junior Ryder Cup team here in 2014. Blairgowrie hosted the event superbly and, of course, club member Bradley Neil was part of the team. It was a very special week.”
He added: “It’s great to be back here in a full-time position. 2020 was a tough year for most people and businesses, but golf was perhaps more fortune than many. Most clubs enjoyed a boost in membership after the first lockdown. Golf, and the domestic visitor market especially, is still going to be an attractive prospect come the spring. We will still be living under some sort of restrictions I suspect.
“Blairgowrie has done very well to bounce back from the spring lockdown. The club has seen a good number of under 35s dusting off the clubs and getting back into golf. The challenge now is to maintain that progress and momentum in the season ahead.”
Wilson is hoping this year’s Walker Cup, which is scheduled to take place in May at Seminole in Florida, will be able to proceed as planned.
“I made the Blairgowrie committee aware of a few obligations. As the GB&I mens’ captain, hopefully I will have the Walker Cup in May. We missed the St Andrews Trophy this year because of the pandemic, so I will have that in 2022.”