Members news

As I am sure you will be aware the First Minister made a significant announcement yesterday afternoon confirming that Scotland will now move into Phase 2 of the easing of the lockdown restrictions. Included in the immediate changes to the current lockdown measures was a relaxation in the number of households which we can now meet, and you can now meet people from up to two other households outdoors. Following this update from the Scottish Government and the weekly review of our protocol document I am delighted to write to you this morning with the relaxation of some of the restrictions currently in place at Forres Golf Club.

Bookings:
• Member and visitor tee times are limited to a maximum of four ball games only. All tee times must not include players from more than 3 households regardless of group size. Effective from 19/06/2020

• Members will only be allowed to book one tee time per day and up to 7 days in advance only. Effective from 22/06/2020 (This will mean that tee times for Thursday 25th June – Sunday 28th June will become available on Monday 22nd June).

• Visitors will only be allowed to book one tee time per day and up to 5 days in advance to allow members priority to booking tee times. Effective from 22/06/2020 (This will mean that tee times for Thursday 25th June – Sunday 28th June will become available on Tuesday 23rd June).

Competitive Golf:
• The return of competitive golf from Wednesday the 24th of June. There will be a separate communication this afternoon with further detail on competition golf, a revised fixture list and how this will operate in under the current circumstances.

For our full Protocol for the Re-Introduction of Golf please see the below link.

RTG Protocol Forres Golf Club 19-06-2020

Given the developing picture with Covid-19 throughout the country and following the latest government and guidelines from Scottish Golf we have made the decision to close the golf course until further notice.

We have had many difficult days over the past few weeks adjusting from what is known as ‘the norm’ and trying our best to keep the golf course open through what has been undoubtedly one of the hardest periods in modern times, but now with our members, our staff, our visitors and all our families health and lives at risk there is very little else that is more important in this moment. There will be a debate whether or not golf in any form could be classed as daily exercise but we want to now be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

We know that the golf course is place which many people choose to exercise not only physically but also mentally in order to escape loneliness and socialise with others. Please feel free to message us on any of our social media channels and we will be more than happy to have a chat regarding anything to keep our brains and mental health ticking over through these coming difficult weeks.

Please follow the above advice and we will hopefully see you all enjoying the golf course again sooner rather than later!

Kind Regards,

Sean Blacklaw
General Manager
Forres Golf Club

Forres Golf Club has announced that the David Torrance Golf Academy will be opening at the Moray Speyside golf club in the spring of 2020.The golf academy is set to be a welcome addition to the golf clubs excellent practice facilities which includes the addition of a state of the art golf simulator which was added to the golf clubs inventory of practice facilities in April 2019, a driving range, practice green and multiple short game areas.

Manager Sean Blacklaw had the following to say regarding the announcement:

“Everyone at Forres Golf Club is absolutely delighted that David has decided to take his Golf Academy to our facility. Growing the game remains a key focus for everyone involved at the golf club and I strongly believe that The David Torrance Golf Academy will play a major part in providing golf tuition to all levels of golfer and beginners in both Forres and the wider golfing community.

Forres Golf Club has a reputation for developing elite level golfers with many reaching the highest level of amateur golf in Scotland and recently one of our members, Jeff Wright, progressed to the professional tours. It will be great for the next and future generations to have the opportunity to receive professional tuition from the David Torrance Golf Academy at Forres Golf Club and I believe that this collaboration will allow us to provide a golf academy recognised as the premier golf academy in the local area and I am extremely excited to begin work with David.”

David Torrance is recognised as one of Scotland’s elite teaching professionals. He established his reputation as a first class coach whilst Head Professional at Nairn Dunbar Golf Club in The Highlands of Scotland, and in March 2016 he was presented with the Scottish Golf Coach of The Year award. With his reputation assured, he left Nairn Dunbar in 2018 and until now has been based at a championship venue, Spey Valley Golf Club in Aviemore, where he is a full time Golf Coach.

David is a “Fellow Member” of The Professional Golfers Association, an elevated membership status which was bestowed upon him as a result of his commitment to personal development and coaching successes all the way up to national level. He was also one of the first Scottish Golf Coaches to gain the advanced coaching qualification of Level Three Sports Coach UK in 2013. Furthermore, David coached for the North District from 2005-2018, was a coach for the Scottish Golf Academy from 2006-2015 and was a Scottish Golf Performance Coach from 2015-2018.

Despite being a well decorated and nationally renowned professional the opportunity to launch his Golf Academy at Forres Golf Club was an attractive one for David who explained his decision to move to Forres Golf Club and his plans for the David Torrance Golf Academy:

“Forres Golf Club is the perfect place for me to be based and I am so excited and honoured to be given the opportunity to be the clubs’ PGA professional.

The course and surroundings are gorgeous and the all-encompassing facilities provide the perfect venue for my coaching academy.

Coupled with the ideal venue and location, I was enticed by the clubs dynamic and enthusiastic attitude and vision of the future of golfing at Forres Golf Club and the importance they place on growing the game.

In my time in the highlands I have helped to produce over ten Scottish Internationalists and some players mentioned in international dispatches including Russel Knox, Kelsey MacDonald, Hannah McCook and Walker Cup star Sandy Scott. My plan at Forres is to produce more champions from grass roots.

Overall my plan at Forres Golf Club will be to help as many people as possible enjoy their enjoyment of our great game and do my very best to keep golf at Forres Golf Club flourishing.”

Shona Donnelly, who leads the Moray Speyside Golf Development Group added:

“The decision by David Torrance to open a Golf Academy at Forres Golf Club is great news for the Region. The Moray Speyside Golf Development group was set up to promote the area as a ‘must play’ destination within Scotland, attracting golfing visitors to the region and ensuring they have the best possible experience, and the Golf Academy strengthens that offering. I have no doubt that golfers from both near and far will utilize the great facilities it will provide”

The David Torrance Golf Academy at Forres Golf Club is scheduled to begin coaching from the 1^st of April 2020 but both David and Sean have already began planning the future of golf tuition at Forres Golf Club.

Congratulations to Keith Pick who has just won £400 in the Cluny Club monthly draw.

Keith said he would put the prize towards a holiday.

Well done Keith and thank you for supporting the Cluny Club.

Remember all profits go towards course improvements.

Application forms are available from the bar or pro shop.