Scottish Golf head Karin is back in the swing at Kirkcaldy Golf Club

Karin, who is match secretary at the club, said it was “absolutely fantastic” to be back on the course after golf was given the green light to resume last Friday, albeit with strict restrictions in place.

She said: “Having been involved in the conversations in the lead up over the past few weeks I wasn’t sure what my own individual approach to playing might be.

“When we put the tee booking platform live I still hadn’t quite decided, but I went in and had a look and saw there were still some early times on the first day.

“The weather forecast was good so I thought it was a really good opportunity for me.

“It meant I could get out, have a quick nine or ten holes, and still be back to do a day’s work.”

When it came to the morning itself Karin says she “couldn’t have asked for a better day”.

She said: “The weather was absolutely glorious, it was like golfing abroad!

“To be in shorts and short sleeves at six o’clock in the morning and having the golf course to yourself and to be back out was a really good moment.

“For some people that had been a couple of months, but in my case it was my first game of golf since September last year and I really couldn’t have asked for a better morning.

“It was great and it really teed me up for the day ahead. Having had that experience of golf reopening then listening to clubs’ and golfers’ feedback throughout the day was very motivating.

“You could really feel the pleasure that people were taking from it.

“That was certainly true of our membership across the weekend at Kirkcaldy. The enthusiasm, the excitement and the genuine joy from everybody in just being able to get back out was really nice to see.”

Karin says there is “a real buzz” around golf as it returns, with a reported rise in membership applications at clubs across Scotland.

“Across the membership at Kirkcaldy there has been lots of engagement; people are just genuinely delighted to be back out.

“From a membership renewal perspective it has been really positive, but equally we’ve had so many golf clubs telling us that they have had lots of new member enquiries and conversions, so that is great for the sport as well.”