Good Auld days could be back for all golfers

Northampton-based Orthopaedic surgeon Jason Auld believes playing golf is a great way for people to help their general health in the post-lockdown period of the COVID-19 outbreak.

And Auld cites his own experience as an example of how the last few weeks could also prove to be a positive for the golf industry after he recently joined Northampton Golf Club following a return to playing the game.

He said: “Golf clubs are going to lose money and some will really suffer, but this whole epidemic has given people the opportunity to think about what they can do with their free time.

“Looking at the next year, and onwards, getting out into the fresh air is something that will help everyone’s general health.

“So with golf being a sport that you should be able to continue to do, rather than going to the gym or team sports, it could benefit both the individual player and the golf industry.

“I’ve always been a keen golfer, having grown up in Scotland, but I’ve not been a member of a golf club for a while, but this has provided a good time to change that.

“My work has primarily been at a private hospital one day per week, and that’s being used by the NHS for coronavirus. And my work patterns have also changed to more remote working, so I am at home with a lot more time on my hands.

“Although I’ve spent a lot of time in the garden, I get on great with my daughter Lara, who plays golf, so this has given us extra time together on the course.

“I will also be able to get a golf handicap now, which will appease my old golf buddies, who were forever complaining that I was playing off a handicap I had when I was 21!”