Whilst sadly the Golf Course remains closed at Mendip, due to the Government’s ruling, life nevertheless carries on beyond the scenes. Director of Golf, Stuart Disney and his Pro Shop Team, together with Chairman of the Captains’ Committee, Nola Russell, have done an immense amount of work to get the new handicap system up and running and they continue to work on the anomalies that were inevitable with such a major change. However, by the time Members return to the Course, hopefully following the Parliament Debate, sooner rather than later, the new handicaps will bring great joy to some – although maybe not to all!

Stuart together with Chairman of Greens, Richard Jeffrey, are busy overseeing the ongoing Bunker Improvement Programme with the Digger particularly busy at present.

Amazingly, for late November, the Greens recently had two cuts in three days with plenty of grass still coming off.

In addition to all that, Stuart has completed a new coaching video, with a further one in the pipeline, which can be viewed on his You Tube Channel. And if this is not enough Stuart devised an Online Zoom Quiz which proved a big hit with Members. And finally, Stuart and the Pro Shop Team have built a new Online Golf Store, which is now open for business, at present for Members only, but with the intention of being available to a wider audience in due course.

In 2007, Alan Gloak, the former Chair of Somerset County Council, set up a Sports Charity, TS5C to support young aspiring athletes in Somerset who had the potential, but lacked the money or facilities, to represent Team GB in the London 2012 Olympics. Over the years it has expanded its support and in total, has raised and distributed over £250,000 to almost 150 aspiring athletes and supported more than a dozen health and well being projects throughout Somerset.

Due to the present situation, whereby fund raising is so difficult, due to Covid and bearing in mind that the Charity was originally intended to be short-term, it has been decided to now call a halt.

In the final distribution of funds and on hearing of the sterling work that is being done for Junior Golf Development at Mendip, the Club has been awarded £500 which will be allocated to assist with the two Mendip programmes, Junior Golf Development and the Girls Golf Rocks programme.

The Junior Golf Development programme is aimed at local Primary Schools delivering sessions on site then follow-up sessions at the Golf Club. This popular programme showcases how good golf can be for young development and the life skills that golf offers.

The Girls Golf Rocks programme is aimed at girls aged 11-16, developing links to community groups and secondary schools for girls who are ‘non-sporty’ and ‘lack confidence in physical activity’. The programme highlights how good golf can be for physical and mental health.

Tony Williams