Saved! Golf course finally reopens after March 2020 lockdown

A golf course that users feared had permanently shut because it remained closed from March 2020 to May 2021, has finally reopened.

Pewit Golf Course in Derbyshire closed for the first coronavirus lockdown but failed to reopen in 2020, and for the first five months of 2021.

However, on June 1, 2021, it reopened amid glorious weather.

A protest group was set up last summer over the nine-hole course’s failure to reopen, with many locals angry that they couldn’t play golf during the participation surge.

Pewit Golf Course. Image from Facebook

Glen Hall, managing director for Parkwood Leisure, which runs the course, said: “We are really excited to be working in partnership with Erewash Borough Council and we are delighted to reopen the Pewit Golf Course as part of our roadmap into reopening the leisure centre facilities and activities.

“We are glad we are now able to open the golf course in time for the summer so that members, families and young people can enjoy this activity once again.”

Councillor Carol Hart, leader of Erewash Borough Council, said: “The past year has been extremely difficult for everyone and we hope the reopening of the golf course for the summer months will help to restore some normality back into the lives of all those who love this sport.”

A spokesman for the protest group said he was delighted to see it back put to use.

He said: “We are delighted that the course is being given a chance to succeed.

“People can buy a season ticket or play to pay – we just want to do everything we can to encourage people to play.”

Several municipal golf courses that looked like they might go under have been saved in recent weeks. This includes the 27-hole Stockwood Park Golf Centre in Luton and five courses in South Ayrshire. It comes amid reports that municipal venues are experiencing unprecedented demand, with the CEO of enjoyleisure, which runs council-owned venues Musselburgh Links in East Lothian and Winterfield Golf Course in Dunbar, saying: “In all our years of managing the golf course, we have never witnessed such a demand for golf as there has been in the last 12 months.”