By Amanda Little

Last updated at 11:13, Saturday, 11 October 2008

The uprooted trees, drowned sheep and rubbish strewn all over the fairways and greens was like a scene from a disaster film.

Mat’s the way to do it: Dave Shaw, left, enjoys a golf lesson from professional Stephen Ling, at Stony Holme’s new driving range

Fifteen feet of filthy flood water seeped through the club house and professional shop at Carlisle’s Stony Holme Golf Club, destroying everything in its path.

The Carlisle floods of 2005 when the River Petteril burst its banks left serious question marks over whether the municipal course would ever be able to get back to normal.

Club professional Stephen Ling and office staff had to operate from temporary Portakabins while Carlisle City Council spent £350,000 upgrading facilities and building a new club house, changing rooms, restaurant, workshop and toilets.

Membership halved, dwindling to an all-time low of 120, which cast a shadow over the future of the club.

But the professional shop, club house and restaurant have been completely refurbished and are back in business.

And now the opening of the new driving range at Stony Holme means three years of disruption is finally over.

Work by the Environment Agency to prevent a repeat of the disaster meant the popular Swifts Driving Range had to close earlier this year.

It has been relocated at Stony Holme, which boasts a new all-weather practice area and grass bays for golfers to whack balls off the tee.

It also means Ling has an area to teach golfers with membership now booming once again.

Ling said: “All the disruption caused by the floods is finally coming to an end.

“After the floods the Environment Agency decided to build a flood alleviation scheme and, as part of the scheme, there was a flood bank right through Swifts Driving Range.

“We’ve created a controlled playing area at Stony Holme now, where golfers can work on their short game.

“I’ve had nowhere to teach since June, so it has been difficult.

“We have utilised the space we’ve got and we now have a place for golfers to hit balls.

“We hope to build another driving range at the Swifts next year. Hopefully when that’s all done and dusted it will be the end of the disruption caused by the floods.”

First published at 09:33, Saturday, 11 October 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk