Stoke Rochford GC have been busy during lockdown... including achieving a national accolade

Chairman Adrian Stannard (left) with Steve Cullington with the new temporary marquee.

Stoke Rochford Golf Club has received national recognition for their hard work off the course during the off-season.

The club welcomed members for the first time in almost three months when lockdown eased in the last days of March, and will be open to visiting and guest golfers from Monday.

However, things have been far from quiet on and off Stoke Rochford’s 18-hole parkland course as they prepared for the much-anticipated return of golf.

Last week the club was awarded the SafeGolf accreditation from England Golf for its work in safeguarding children, young and vulnerable people.

SafeGolf is a partnership of UK golf bodies which aims to ensure clubs are safe and positive places for all players, staff and volunteers, with particular emphasis on safeguarding for children, young and vulnerable people.

The award complements Stoke Rochford’s ongoing aim to attract more young golfers.

“To achieve this we had to ensure our procedures and operations had the necessary safeguards and representatives to ensure the right environment was in place for this section of our community,” said Mike Heath, Stoke Rochford GC’s secretary who has driven the application.

As last year, the club again acted proactively during the shutdown, keeping all of their greenstaff on to ensure the course was in top shape for play the moment golf returned.

Changes have also been made to several holes to keep returning golfers on their toes, including a new bunker on the 10th and the removal of another on the 11th.

The club has also increased the size of its changing facilities, and introduced a new changing area for non-members in a former office to cater for the growing number of golf societies paying a visit.

Club professional James Bennett will reopen his shop on April 12.

And a marquee has been put up on the patio to allow stewards Cris and Lis Van Den Enden to offer a takeaway for snacks and refreshments before the clubhouse can reopen and offer meals from Monday, May 17.