Considering the current 2m social distancing, how many players to a Tee when we restart?

[fundy]

Mr Mimms and I share a household but tend to socially distance anyway when playing golf, with his straight hook, and my slice

can you get him to teach me the straight hook when this is over please, my hook goes anything but straight

 

[GB72]

That's a fair point, but if they do take the view that socially distanced golf is safe, then it's safe. 2, 3 or 4 people is going to make v little difference or they won't allow it at all.

Trying to 'reduce the risk' becomes an optics game in that you don't want to let these pursuits get going if people see it as 'business as usual'.

However it would be much safer to have 'business as usual' with no one over age 60 allowed to play in groups (other than from their own household).

But it seems the government are unwilling or unable to point out just how much more serious it is for elderly people to contract the virus compared to younger people.

Not quite what I said. My point is that golf needs to be read in the context of society as a whole. So, in the case of golf, why should you be allowed to meet a friend from another household in an outdoor environment on a golf course but Joe Bloggs cannot meet with his friend in the back garden for a beer whilst applying the same social distancing. logic dictates that, if you are able to meet people from other households and play golf and apply social distancing then everybody else should be able to meet other households for whatever reason so long as social distancing is applied. Not a problem with that but we have to take small steps to start with. So, you can meet with one other household on the golf course as a 2 ball, Joe Bloggs can have one other household round for a cup of tea in the back garden. Make that 4 households and that is too much, too quickly when applied to society as a whole.

Golf is not an island on its own. By allowing golf to be played you are ending one of the key elements of the lock down, the isolation of individual households. By allowing golf to be played, you have to allow other households to meet in the same context so outside with social distancing. There is an argument that you could have 2 people from one household playing with 2 from another but that is very hard for clubs to police.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I'd feel safe playing a 4 ball, but I don't feel at risk.
I think you can stay a safe distance.

However I am fairly certain it will be singles or 2 balls when things re-start. Most likely 2 ball.
Which will be a nightmare for a lot of clubs. Especially those that don't have the 10th tee near the clubhouse.

The whole thing is getting tedius, treating everyone the same rather than letting the evidence guide what can and can't happen.

Probably a bad use of words, not something I would say when thousands and thousands are dying from this tbh.

In respect of your 'much more serious for the elderly', yeah more are dying but you do need to see the whole picture, have a read here for one such hospitalisations breakdown, showing sadly plenty of younger people in hospital :-

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/coronavirus-young-people-hospitalized-covid-19-chart/

Just because you are younger, fit, does not mean you will be okay. Some of these hospitalisations cases are going to have serious problems moving forward for x months or years from all ages.

Sorry about the side track

 

[i*windows]

Do you have to book times or just queue up? If booked times, has the booking system gone live yet? Curious to know how busy it was or likely to be.

you have to book a tee time 2 days in advance. At nearly all the clubs nearby golf is limited to members only, I'm guess this is because they are not registered in the system. I'm not sure when guests will be allowed to play at all clubs, but I'm guessing it will be from May 18th onwards when further restrictions are lifted

 

[Val]

I'd feel safe playing a 4 ball, but I don't feel at risk.
I think you can stay a safe distance.

However I am fairly certain it will be singles or 2 balls when things re-start. Most likely 2 ball.
Which will be a nightmare for a lot of clubs. Especially those that don't have the 10th tee near the clubhouse.

The whole thing is getting tedius, treating everyone the same rather than letting the evidence guide what can and can't happen.

Regardless of where the 10th is, a 2 tee start wouldn't work at most member's clubs on medal day. My club has over 150 players on a Saturday, it doesn't take a mathematician to work out that those finishing 9 holes on the earlier times will interact with those starting their rounds on both 1 and 10

Ordinary bounce games are a different beast

 

[2blue]

Regardless of where the 10th is, a 2 tee start wouldn't work at most member's clubs on medal day. My club has over 150 players on a Saturday, it doesn't take a mathematician to work out that those finishing 9 holes on the earlier times will interact with those starting their rounds on both 1 and 10

Ordinary bounce games are a different beast

I guess many Clubs may find themselves moving to 9-hole Comps or Q-Rounds for H/cap purposes. It would at least allow more members to play some golf.

 

[Fish]

Regardless of where the 10th is, a 2 tee start wouldn't work at most member's clubs on medal day. My club has over 150 players on a Saturday, it doesn't take a mathematician to work out that those finishing 9 holes on the earlier times will interact with those starting their rounds on both 1 and 10

Ordinary bounce games are a different beast

A 2 tee start will defeat the object of what they are attempting imo, as is regular at my place, if you start on either the 1st or 10th, there will always be a group on the tee as you come round.

Our rule is, if you're on the 18th or 9th greens, then any group on the 1st or 10th should not tee off, if there's a queue, which won't be the case in this scenario, but in normal times, then it's you alternate from then.

If they're trying to stay away from gatherings, then it should be 18 holes off the 1st tee only with an extended gap to the normal, be it 10 or 12 minutes etc.

Let the course flow then naturally, don't cause potential bottle necks with 2 tee starts, and if like at ours, there's a known bottle neck on a hole, normally on a long, tough par3, it happens on our 15th, then have it as a call down once you're all on the green to keep the field moving.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Simples. 10min tee slots. Group walking up 1st fairway; next group to play move from putting green to tee, or by 1st tee, ready to play; next group arrive in car park, decant gear and prepare to move to putting green or close by - but don't go to it until it has been cleared.

 

[GB72]

A 2 tee start will defeat the object of what they are attempting imo, as is regular at my place, if you start on either the 1st or 10th, there will always be a group on the tee as you come round.

Our rule is, if you're on the 18th or 9th greens, then any group on the 1st or 10th should not tee off, if there's a queue, which won't be the case in this scenario, but in normal times, then it's you alternate from then.

If they're trying to stay away from gatherings, then it should be 18 holes off the 1st tee only with an extended gap to the normal, be it 10 or 12 minutes etc.

Let the course flow then naturally, don't cause potential bottle necks with 2 tee starts, and if like at ours, there's a known bottle neck on a hole, normally on a long, tough par3, it happens on our 15th, then have it as a call down once you're all on the green to keep the field moving.

I guess it just comes down to the practicalities of individual clubs as to what can be achieved and what they want to achieve. Some clubs will want to give members the full 18 hole experience back again, some will forfeit that to get more people out on the course to enjoy at least some golf. At my club, there are 3 distinct and separate loops of nine with few places where tees and green are close so common sense would say open 3 tees for 9 holes only to get most people out for at least some golf when they want to.

 

[full_throttle]

I'd be happy to play 4 balls, no reason not to social distance, plenty of space by the tees and around the greens to stay safe.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The club has already published it'll be 10 minute gaps and two balls so the decision has been made. Time will be booked online and my biggest concern is that people will book for their mates although the mail we received seemed to read that they're limiting the booking to one name per person. Believe that when I see it. Can see the weekend times going in a flash, especially those looking to play their normal times.

 

[SammmeBee]

The club has already published it'll be 10 minute gaps and two balls so the decision has been made. Time will be booked online and my biggest concern is that people will book for their mates although the mail we received seemed to read that they're limiting the booking to one name per person. Believe that when I see it. Can see the weekend times going in a flash, especially those looking to play their normal times.

Golf Clubs need to be strong for once....take it or leave it stance for the benefit of as many as possible....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Golf Clubs need to be strong for once....take it or leave it stance for the benefit of as many as possible....

I agree and they are looking to impose a starter and a marshall on course. Hopefully the starter will ensure smooth flow, prevent the temptation to join up into a four ball and the marshall will ensure the same once golfers are out of site on the course and that they will take action if people don't follow the rules

 

[Deleted member 16999]

The club has already published it'll be 10 minute gaps and two balls so the decision has been made. Time will be booked online and my biggest concern is that people will book for their mates although the mail we received seemed to read that they're limiting the booking to one name per person. Believe that when I see it. Can see the weekend times going in a flash, especially those looking to play their normal times.

Why has the Club pre-empted the decision? Why not wait and see, decision could be 2, 3 or 4 Balls.

Accepting they could be 100% correct or 100% wrong surely stating what it’ll be is why there are so many rumours?

 

[Imurg]

The guidelines recommend 2 balls at 10 minute intervals but I'm sure they also say that this is up to each club to decide what works best for them.
I know Whipsnade are planning 3 balls at 15 minute intervals.
Size of tee boxes, greens and walkways will be a factor in each club's decision
I suspect the majority will go with the guidelines.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Why has the Club pre-empted the decision? Why not wait and see, decision could be 2, 3 or 4 Balls.

Accepting they could be 100% correct or 100% wrong surely stating what it’ll be is why there are so many rumours?

No idea which is why I asked the question on here about also being restricted to 9 holes as well. Assuming the logic is to use a two tee start if the demand is excessive straight after lockdown although nothing has been said and everyone I've spoken to online seems to think it'll be just the front nine at 10 minute gaps in twos. Perhaps with the green staff on furlough it gives them a chance to work on the back nine a bit more with more of a team to get it back to a good standard and then flip it and let members play the back and do the same on the front. Don't know their logic or the decision being made so soon but that's the situation I and the other members are in

 

[HampshireHog]

Number of players in a group shouldn’t be a issue. For me it’s our club introducing tee booking and policing it along with access to practice facilities. The place on the course I encounter most golfers is the practice green.

 

[Blue in Munich]

i am starting to see part of the use of 2 balls only as a piece of the bigger picture, as I mentioned in my bored, conspiracy theory post. By allowing golf to go ahead, what you are doing is allowing separate households to socialise whilst applying social distancing. If you limit it to 2 balls, you are only allowing a meeting of 2 households and it is not inconceivable that any relaxation that involves golf may also allow outside meetings of 2 households whilst applying social distancing. If you allow 4 balls, you may have up to 4 households meeting in a social environment. It would seem a step too far to be allowing in general life an outside meeting of 4 households. So, if you apply the rules that may be applied to life in general then the idea of a 2 ball makes more sense.

In the context of society as a whole, how many separate households do you socially interact with doing the weekly supermarket shop?

But golf is restricted to 2 balls...

 

[GB72]

In the context of society as a whole, how many separate households do you socially interact with doing the weekly supermarket shop?

But golf is restricted to 2 balls...

You don't. Difference between being somewhere to do the shopping, a currently permitted activity, and spending an extended time socially interacting with someone not from your household, which is currently not. But it is a question of parity. Anyone can go shopping and that is fine but this is about breaking the key tenet the of lock down and allowing 2 separate households to be in a non essential social situation together. What about going for a daily walk, currently only can go together if you are in the same household. Golf is the equivalent of applying social distancing and going for a walk with a mate so that should be allowed at the same time. 2 people sitting 2 meters apart in a garden having a beer and a chat, same thing. When you break it down, golf is not special and it frustrates how some think it is. Golf is 2 or more people carrying out a social activity in the open air applying social distancing. You allow that, you allow the interaction of separate households in a set of agreed circumstances then that should be allowed across the board for any situation that meets that criteria be it a run, a dog walk or a cup of tea in the garden.

 

[Fish]

You don't. Difference between being somewhere to do the shopping, a currently permitted activity, and spending an extended time socially interacting with someone not from your household, which is currently not. But it is a question of parity. Anyone can go shopping and that is fine but this is about breaking the key tenet the of lock down and allowing 2 separate households to be in a non essential social situation together. What about going for a daily walk, currently only can go together if you are in the same household. Golf is the equivalent of applying social distancing and going for a walk with a mate so that should be allowed at the same time. 2 people sitting 2 meters apart in a garden having a beer and a chat, same thing. When you break it down, golf is not special and it frustrates how some think it is. Golf is 2 or more people carrying out a social activity in the open air applying social distancing. You allow that, you allow the interaction of separate households in a set of agreed circumstances then that should be allowed across the board for any situation that meets that criteria be it a run, a dog walk or a cup of tea in the garden.

Driving across town to shop in B&Q isn’t special either?