Pensioners tee off on crazy golf course created by care worker

Pensioners at a care home are teeing off at a crazy golf course built for them, which includes iconic Scottish landmarks such as Edinburgh Castle and the Forth Bridges.

Edinburgh Zoo, the Royal Mile, Calton Hill and Haymarket Station also feature in the crazy golf course.

Care worker Laura Mitchell teamed up with maintenance manager John Robertson at Cairdean House care home in Edinburgh to create the activity for residents.

The course took around three months to make, with John building the course and Laura painting it.

Laura said: “I’ve always loved arts and crafts, and during lockdown I began trying out lots of new things to keep busy, and found I had a passion for it.

“I was inspired to do something creative at the home, and really enjoyed seeing the ideas come together to make the end result.

“The best part was definitely seeing the residents have fun in the garden taking turns on the golf course.

“It was very rewarding.”

Care home resident June enjoys a round of crazy gold with Callum Arnott. Simon Galloway via SWNS

The home has already held a competition, with residents and staff taking to the course for the Cairdean Open.

Albert Hodson, 100, said: “We all loved the course and had a fantastic time playing.

“Laura is a talented young lady to recreate the amazing well known city landmarks as golf holes.

“We really did have a wonderful day.”

Gillian Goodall, home manager at Cairdean House, said: “Here at Cairdean House, we believe in promoting independence through activity-based care – and sometimes, this means thinking outside the box.

“We’re always looking for new and exciting ways to get residents up and active.

“Physical exercise is incredibly important, especially for older people, and seeing the team in fancy dress always lifts everyone’s spirits.

“It was great to see everyone get a little bit competitive too.

“We’ll all be practicing our putting ahead of our next game – I know everyone is really looking forward to it.”