Foresomes - Oh What Fun!

[mikejohnchapman]

We are playing a qualifier for the Daily Mail foresomes on Sunday - first Foresome competition since lockdown.

Thought it would be necessary to have a protocol for not sharing each others golf ball. First couple of drafts read like a script for a carry on film

The EG site was a bit OTT for details so we tried to come up with something that would be best practice from a Covid-19 perspective, within the rules of golf but trying not to disqualify loads of people for picking their playing partners ball up. This is what we came up with:

Playing Foursomes following Covid-19 advice, National and Local
Rules as necessary, and avoiding the need for any player to touch
any ball other than their own.

Each partner should use their own golf ball, which is only
handled by that player. For example the player teeing off
from hole 1 is the only one that touches the ball from teeing
off through to completion of the hole. The partner teeing off
from hole 2 does likewise with their ball and so on
throughout the match.

Any lifting, placement, dropping or marking of the ball
anywhere on the course should only carried out by the
player who tees off on each hole with advice, where
necessary, from their playing partner. If a replacement is
required for a lost ball, or a provisional ball becomes the ball
in play, the same process applies from that point.
Each players original ball must be used and must not be
substituted by another ball unless it has been lost.

Any comments welcome - just no more Frankie Howard impressions please !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rulefan]

We are playing a qualifier for the Daily Mail foresomes on Sunday - first Foresome competition since lockdown.

Thought it would be necessary to have a protocol for not sharing each others golf ball. First couple of drafts read like a script for a carry on film

The EG site was a bit OTT for details so we tried to come up with something that would be best practice from a Covid-19 perspective, within the rules of golf but trying not to disqualify loads of people for picking their playing partners ball up. This is what we came up with:

Playing Foursomes following Covid-19 advice, National and Local
Rules as necessary, and avoiding the need for any player to touch
any ball other than their own.

Each partner should use their own golf ball, which is only
handled by that player. For example the player teeing off
from hole 1 is the only one that touches the ball from teeing
off through to completion of the hole. The partner teeing off
from hole 2 does likewise with their ball and so on
throughout the match.

Any lifting, placement, dropping or marking of the ball
anywhere on the course should only carried out by the
player who tees off on each hole with advice, where
necessary, from their playing partner. If a replacement is
required for a lost ball, or a provisional ball becomes the ball
in play, the same process applies from that point.
Each players original ball must be used and must not be
substituted by another ball unless it has been lost.

Any comments welcome - just no more Frankie Howard impressions please !!!!!!!!!!!

Sound pretty sensible to me. Easy to follow and to do.

 

[Colin L]

I'd change the instances of "should" to "must". Otherwise it's clear and uncomplicated.

I wondered about a penalty for deliberate breach and thought that given the subject matter, castration would be appropriate. But on second thoughts it would be discriminatory in mixed foursomes so maybe not.

 

[Orikoru]

How about a simpler solution, everyone washes their hands with anti-bac at the start and you just get on with it?

 

[patricks148]

playing in the northern Counties seniors scratch in a couple of weeks which is foursomes normally and they for some reason have made it better ball ...

 

[Lord Tyrion]

How about a simpler solution, everyone washes their hands with anti-bac at the start and you just get on with it?

Start, during and after. Don't lick your fingers either. Not hard is it.

Seems an extreme level of paranoia.

 

[LincolnShep]

How about a simpler solution, everyone washes their hands with anti-bac at the start and you just get on with it?

Until someone unconsciously wipes their nose, or coughs, or sneezes - can totally understand why they need the protocol as written.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

How about a simpler solution, everyone washes their hands with anti-bac at the start and you just get on with it?

I'm no medical expert but how does that protect you from playing with an asymptomatic carrier of Covid-19?

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Start, during and after. Don't lick your fingers either. Not hard is it.

Seems an extreme level of paranoia.

With the number of deaths and infection rates rising i'm not sure it's being paraniod. I presume you don't bother with this social distancing malarky or Covid rules at your club?

 

[Orikoru]

Until someone unconsciously wipes their nose, or coughs, or sneezes - can totally understand why they need the protocol as written.

I'm no medical expert but how does that protect you from playing with an asymptomatic carrier of Covid-19?

Then don't play foursomes at all if there's that much concern? You either accept some risk or sack it off altogether. There's no requirement that it has to be played, so if you are going to play it, then just get on with it. I personally carry a small anti-bac in my pocket whenever I'm out of the house and use it regularly when I need to touch something or whatever. Beyond that - you are going to touch something that someone has touched. When they pass you a pint glass, or you absent-mindedly pick up a broken tee to chuck out the way, etc etc. You can't legislate every minute detail, you just crack on and clean your hands regularly. Anyone who's overly-worried about the risk beyond that - don't play in a foursomes!

(Sorry that was more of a rant than I planned upon. )

 

[Orikoru]

With the number of deaths and infection rates rising i'm not sure it's being paraniod. I presume you don't bother with this social distancing malarky or Covid rules at your club?

Social distancing in solo stroke play is easy. Wash your hands and don't touch the flag, don't give any of your mates a handshake, hug or high five - job done.

 

[pendodave]

On a slightly less controversial note...
Other (much more) shared ball sports such as netball and basketball are resuming. I cant help thinking that you (or the egu) are overthinking this.

 

[Orikoru]

On a slightly less controversial note...
Other (much more) shared ball sports such as netball and basketball are resuming. I cant help thinking that you (or the egu) are overthinking this.

It's a great point. I've been playing tennis and badminton for several weeks (months in the case of tennis). We all washed our hands at the beginning and got on with it.

 

[Ethan]

I'm no medical expert but how does that protect you from playing with an asymptomatic carrier of Covid-19?

Being outside and with social distancing, the risk is minimal.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

With the number of deaths and infection rates rising i'm not sure it's being paraniod. I presume you don't bother with this social distancing malarky or Covid rules at your club?

I do bother but as others are pointing out there are greater risks in many other areas. If people are worrying to this level then don't play the format. The risk of catching it in this way must be infinitesimal.

 

[LincolnShep]

... You either accept some risk or sack it off altogether. There's no requirement that it has to be played, so if you are going to play it, then just get on with it. ...

Luckily, it's not as black and white as you're suggesting.

We all accept some risk, we also make an effort to minimise our exposure to risk. We make personal decisions about the level of risk and whether it's worth making an effort to avoid it. It's an easy decision when the effort involved is small - like not touching other players' golf balls. We all make a small effort and many more people can carry on playing. That seems like a good thing to me.

 

[jim8flog]

Start, during and after. Don't lick your fingers either. Not hard is it.

Seems an extreme level of paranoia.

I would have though not licking your balls would be a better warning

 

[KenL]

playing in the northern Counties seniors scratch in a couple of weeks which is foursomes normally and they for some reason have made it better ball ...

And improved the event for everybody!

 

[patricks148]

And improved the event for everybody!

not really, its a scratch Foursomes event, which is to many the purist form of the game, 4BBB is far from that

 

[KenL]

not really, its a scratch Foursomes event, which is to many the purist form of the game, 4BBB is far from that

The purest form of the game at Muirfield yes.