All Scottish golf clubs can apply for new funding

Every affiliated Scottish golf club that has been financially affected by Covid-19 can apply for one of two new grants totalling more than two-thirds of a million pounds, according to The R&A.

The money, believed to be the highest amount the global governing body for golf has ever awarded to Scottish Golf, will be made available via two separate allocations.

The first is the ‘COVID-19 Fixed Costs Grant’ which is valued at £285,000 and, of which, clubs can receive up to £500 each from. It is available from now until July 24.

The COVID-19 Fixed Costs Grant will enable every affiliated club in Scotland to apply for a maximum of £500 for fixed costs specifically associated with preparing for safe play and club / course management following the COVID-19 lockdown in early March 2020.

These can include but are not exhaustive of sanitation products, COVID-19 related health and safety equipment, professional fees, signage, training, video conferencing licence (such as Zoom) and any other COVID-19 related spend.

To apply to receive funding, clubs are required to fill out a short application form confirming details about the club. The application form is available here and will be available until July 24.

All grants will be paid to clubs within ten working days of notification of a successful application.

For any clubs that elect not to claim the COVID-19 Fixed Costs Grant, or claim less than the maximum £500, Scottish Golf will commit the unclaimed money to be transferred to a second grant: The Club Relief Fund, on Monday, July 27, although the application process for this is already open.

The Club Relief Fund has been created to provide financial support to clubs who have been impacted by the pandemic. This fund is concentrated on enabling clubs to reinstate or to increase expenditure in key areas to either improve member experience or boost income generation potential.

The long-term impact of COVID-19 on the golfing landscape is still unknown, but this fund is aimed at helping clubs take the first steps to recovery and look to thrive again in the future.

Clubs applying to this fund are required to complete a four-stage application to ensure the review committee has the correct information available to allocate funds.

The information required includes: