In the driving seat?

Ben Bentley asks whether young players being left out in the cold by the growing number of retired people swarming Shropshire's golf courses.

Leaning on his golf club, retired businessman Godfrey Thomas from Bomere Heath watches as his friend carefully selects a driver before belting his ball down the fairway.

"Not bad," says 70-year-old Godfrey, or God as his friends call him. "It's heading right for the bunker."

Boys keep swinging. Golf - a game described by detractors as a good walk ruined - has come of age with increasing numbers of retired people taking up the sport in later life.

With discounted midweek rates, head down to any county golf course between Monday and Friday and there is more silver on show than at your average antiques shop.

However, the ageing golf population and its appetite for frequent playing, has quite incidentally stirred up a bunkerful of controversy among some sporting officials.

An article in The Golf Club Secretary newsletter, which is subscribed for by almost 1,000 clubs in the UK, appeared to suggest that members who played a lot were "leeches".

It said that over the years members have been able to play as many times as they wanted with minimal restrictions. Discounts for older members have traditionally been offered, but because people were living longer and retiring earlier, a changing demography was leaving younger players in out in the cold.

It's mid-morning at Meole Brace in Shrewsbury - a non-members golf course - and Godfrey's "Wednesday club" is in full swing. Trailing their bags behind them, the group of friends have made their way down to the tee at the first for their regular game.

"It's more people into playing competitions at the weekends, but we are just here for the fun," says Godfrey leaning on his club and watching his pals tee off.

"Most people who play during the week are older, unless it's the school holidays when you get more kids having a game. It's very, very popular with retired people."

Another of the Wednesday regulars is Godfrey's former business partner Brian Beddows, also aged 70. Brian is even more of a regular down here than his pals.

"I also go to the gym four times a week here," he says.

"You get to an age when you have to keep fit. But golf is great for that as well - it's exercise and great companionship at the same time."

Brian, from Bayston Hill, was a bit of a golfer during his working years but has taken to the course with a vengeance in retirement.

"I had one or two games before retirement but we have started this Wednesday business since I've been retired," he explains.

The trio of "this Wednesday business" is completed by Brian Hill from Much Wenlock. At 72 he is the most senior of the veterans and perhaps the most experienced with a stick and a ball.

"I definitely play more now - if I can afford it," he says.

"Price does come into it."

He tells how some courses around the county charge up to £25 for a visitor's round and that he picks and chooses his times to play carefully. At such courses, he says a midweek game is often cheaper but adds: "I've had to pay up to £50 in Devon."

Nigel Brammall, a golf professional at Meole Brace, says: "Member clubs sometimes have extra weekend rates because they don't want you there. It might be £20 in the week but £30 at weekends."

But this being a municipal course, such rules don't apply. It used to be more expensive to play at weekends here, says Nigel, but even though it's the same cost each day the course is rammed with midweek veterans.

"We've got a very strong section of veterans," he continues.

"In the mornings the course is full of people in the 60-plus bracket. We can get anything up to 30 players coming here in an hour on a Tuesday morning."

Over at Wrekin Golf Club, which is a members' club, it is a similar story. It's a midweek morning and the car park is well over half full.

Out on the magnificently manicured greens are magnificently manicured golfing veterans. Turned out in enviably immaculate golf wear, there is an air of the English gentleman in his leisure-time prime.

In the clubhouse, club secretary Doug Briscoe has noticed the increase in golf's ageing population.

"People are living longer and there are the advantages of having an electric trolley these days," he says.

"We've got one member who is 87 and he still plays. We did have one who on his 90th birthday played four or five holes carrying his own bag."

Neil Everson who manages nearby Horsehay golf course, run by Telford & Wrekin Council, says: "We definitely get more older players in the week, and most under 65s at weekends. We've got 'week membership' only and it's cheaper for five-day membership."

With a special leisure card, a nine-hole round of golf here costs just £3.80 for players aged over 60. But if they want to play the same number of holes at weekends or bank holidays the price rises to £10.50.

It is one explanation of why armies of retired people are picking up sticks and swarming onto our golf courses between Monday and Friday.

Back at Meole Brace, members of the Wednesday club continue to play their regular game of 12 holes.

"See you in about two-and-a-half hours when we'll be clambering back up the bank," says Godfrey Thomas.

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