Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
STOPPING FOR TEE
Andrew Andre Bargh
The biting cold, the harsh wind, the torrential rain and, in the distance, a heavily over- par scorecard.
One look out of the living room window in Scotland can reduce even the most avid golfer’s appetite for a round of 18 holes.
Faced with the prospect of an afternoon spent on the couch, traipsing around a home improvement centre or visiting the in-laws, the urge of somehow being able to find a quick fix for your craving grows stronger.
You imagine a safe haven – a place to seek golfing asylum and continue to improve your game while mother nature isn’t on your side.
Picture a place that lends 25,000 square feet of indoor driving range space with a pitching area, bunkers, putting greens and a state-of-the-art simulator. It’s closer than you might think. The Golf Asylum, based in Kirkshaws, has been acting as that golfing haven for nearly a year.
And owners, local brothers Alan, 28, and Blair Forsyth, 22, have their sights set on a bright future for their company after a successful first 10 months.
Alan told the Advertiser: “Creating this was a big decision for us and was a year in the making.
“The biggest thing for us was to make the experience as close to what you would get on the golf course.
“We’ve got our bank of regulars that come in a few times a week but still have new people that have recently found out about it and are still getting to know us and what we do.
“It’s not only local people – you get people coming from Edinburgh and even the other side of it further up north.
“I think we feel a bit of everything when looking at what’s been created so far.
“There’s excitement at what is still to come and what we have planned moving forward.”
As well as amateurs, European Tour pros Paul Lawrie and Richie Ramsay have both checked in at the asylum to reap the rewards of what is on offer.
Part of the reason for that is the brothers, along with resident professional Bobby Rushford, have seen the facility named as the Scottish Golf Performance Centre.
Blair explained: “We’ve been recognised for what we are, that it’s basically so good here that Scottish Golf have based their coaching at the Asylum.
“With that we need to provide at least 50 hours of coaching for people that are trying to improve.
“That’s why Bobby is here; he has a tie-in with Stirling University and their golf team practice here.
“Scottish Golf have recognised the facilities here are so worthwhile that this is where they should be based.
“We have tour pros coming in over the winter and the Lanarkshire Golf Association too.
“As well as the practice facilities with the turf they can use trackman, which is the simulator.
“It breaks down your game and measures ball and club data for us to see where somebody needs to improve.
“We’re adding a second one next year and we couldn’t do our jobs without it to be honest.”
As well as the stunning facilities on