Let's talk about mental health

No other post will mean as much as this one if it helps just one person...

I've been chatting to you lot for a few years now. Sometimes when you come into the range, other times via social media, and some of you i've never met, but you've opened our emails.

I might know your name, your face, your golf swing, a little about you....but one thing that is almost impossible to know is if you're happy or not. I'll be honest, it's not always something that we have time to pay attention to if we are having a busy day and serving other customers. Sometimes when we are walking up and down the range, we have time for a quick chat and a swing tip, but it's not enough to actually get to know you or how you are feeling.

This isn't a soppy post, a snowflake post, a huggy post. It's just a blog to say that if you're struggling and can't think of a place to go, we're probably open.

We are open for 60 hours every week, every single day of the year apart from Xmas day. My staff and I are not trained in counselling, psychology or any other form of Mental Health therapy, but, we make nice cups of tea and coffee and can ALWAYS offer you a seat on our sofa if you want a chat, and we have loads of balls that you can whack if you don't want to chat, but you want to be around someone who cares enough to spend some time with you.

We are not psychic, and we are not able to see through the "happy barrier" that you might be able to display on your face. So please give us the chance to listen if you want to talk. If you don't and you just want to chill out and be around another human, help us out with some ball collecting, basket collecting or anything else that will give you something to focus on rather than being inside your head, that's ok.

Happiness is not something that we can give you, it's something that you will experience when positive emotions arise from a moment that you are in. We can help to facilitate that with clubs, balls, nature, being outdoors and ball whacking.

That's all. Nothing more to say. Pop in.

Thanks to Sport England for the image.

Nick