BARRY Forster, the PGA professional at Enmore Park Golf Club, is looking forward to the course re-opening and hoping for a full summer of golf, writes Richard Walsh.

The Enmore pro took up his post in September 2019 but within a few months faced the first of three Covid-19 lockdowns, which have either closed or resulted in socially-distanced golf over the last 12 months.

Despite the lockdowns, and thanks to the use of modern technology, the professional team at Enmore have been able to keep in touch with members and offer online coaching.

Forster said: “Although we have been in lockdown we have still been able to keep in touch with people, and the technology has certainly made life easier and kept us all in touch.

“You can Facetime someone and watch them hit shots, and then work with them.

“It’s so much easier than it would have been 10 years ago, before we had the technology.

“Even though the weather hasn’t been great, the appetite hasn’t stalled at all and people are very keen to keep their golf going.

“I know that people have been chipping in their gardens, some have set up nets and been putting indoors, and the technology is there to support these activities.

“I think that people have missed playing golf, getting out on the course and the camaraderie that goes with the game, socialising afterwards.

“It’s one thing to be chipping and putting at home, but that is no substitute for being out in the fresh air and playing golf itself.

“Things are starting to look good - we just need the weather to play ball more than anything.”

Forster added: “Since coming to Enmore I haven’t had a full year of competitions and, although last year was great in terms of everyone coming together and supporting us in the shop once we opened, in terms of having a full-on normal year it just hasn’t happened.

“I think that April will be members only, but we hope that from May onwards we will have something of a normal year, so we can’t wait to get the golf course open again.”

Enmore are planning a variety of coaching opportunities for men and women this summer, including ‘Golf in a Day’.

Anybody interested should email pro@enmorepark.co.uk or call 01278 672100 (option 3).