USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
It is odd how magnetic greens are to people. A whole golf course to explore, and people seem to only want to mess about on the greens.
MP's are thick
- Thread starter Val
- Start date
GB72
Money List Winner
Just playing devils advocate a bit here but interested to see if it changes any opinions. If the government were to announce a level of rescue funding for golf clubs but on the condition that they are open to the public as an area for walking during the lock down, would you be in favour.
harpo_72
Journeyman Pro
As a private club member, no. It’s like me taking a trip to London and expecting to have B and B at no.10 !
Brutally honest if the government is making decisions without agreeing with owners .. that is undemocratic
GB72
Money List Winner
They would not be making a decision, they would be offering your club money in exchange for it being used as an area for the public to exercise. No access, no money and so it would be up to the members to decide between funding and public access or no funding and remain closed to everyone. As I said, hypothetical.
harpo_72
Journeyman Pro
Ah okay... but the club is out and away from major conurbations.. it would be deemed non essential so I would charge everyone going there ??
Sports_Fanatic
Assistant Pro
As a private club member, do you think the club should be able to claim support from Government on furlough, VAT deferral etc or do you believe it should be the members who support cash flow?
harpo_72
Journeyman Pro
They act as a business and they are entitled to protect their assets which entitles them to this support. Be aware some of the members are in hardship as well. Your point could actually be applied across every business especially those owned by very wealthy people .. it isn’t really worth progressing with this discussion as it will just escalate into a “they don’t run their business very well and they have made too much money so can take the hit. “ But what your implying is the furlough should be dropped and all businesses should suck it up and those that cannot “well never mind” and that is not what it’s there for.
Sports_Fanatic
Assistant Pro
I fully agree that all businesses and individuals should be taking the support on offer, and golf clubs very much in that given the impact.
I just find it harder to distinguish it as a private members club (at this time only) whilst they are being propped up by the public purse. Hence if there are small things that golf clubs can do (or any other business) that are deemed to support the effort during the Covid crisis then I think there is an obligation to do so.
I asked the question more because of people being upset by the original suggestion, and I actually consider the funding put forward to already be rescue funding which was part of GB72 hypothetical situation but it feels like many don’t.
theres a couple I see that must live near the Kings/Torvean in Inverness that appear to make a point of deliberatley walking across the greens with their big Alsatian.
GB72
Money List Winner
Seen a few more reports on this today and so it is not going to just go away. Seen comments today from the person who proposed this originally stating 'we must not let them win'. My concern on this is that the argument will be worded in such a way that it comes across as 'Elitist' golfers not wanting the plebs on their courses. Unfortunately, that argument will hit home with quite a few and some of the replies I have seen to the original tweet would not help that. Certainly something that needs addressing by the powers that be and so, if this gathers momentum, the governing bodies need to step in and address the point.
harpo_72
Journeyman Pro
All businesses are affectively the same thing. They are owned by someone.. someone who is profiting. So if your happy to help them why should we highlight golf clubs that are run as non profit businesses as not appropriate to receive aid? I mean if you get to the real nitty gritty and ask yourself how much of these services are a necessary then you would conclude that the majority of stuff isn’t and it’s just “fluff” so why should we support it and why cannot they accept that today the business died.
So in the end it turns into a judgemental argument, which will cause all kind of moral outrage on here.
The request from this MP is fine, and the answer is “no” . There is no justification for that answer and it’s irrelevant how many people sign the petition as it comparable to me saying I should get a vote in the American election.
She would be far better served doing something far more worthwhile than trying to start an argument.
backwoodsman
Tour Winner
The man behind the petition - Guy Shrubsole - is a man with an agenda. In that he's campaigning for a right to roam. (Which already exists in Scotland does it not?) I'd be highly surprised if he's not using the current crisis - and the pretence of opening up more land to enable socially distanced exercise - as a means of getting a foot in the door.
Also, he's using some dubious data as a means of getting a headline figure of how many "extra people" (1million) who would be within 500m of green space if golf courses were open
I've no major qualms about a few people exercising on our course on a temporary basis if its closed. But not on a permanent basis.
Also, he's using some dubious data as a means of getting a headline figure of how many "extra people" (1million) who would be within 500m of green space if golf courses were open
I've no major qualms about a few people exercising on our course on a temporary basis if its closed. But not on a permanent basis.
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
Yep.
When I played at Wimbledon Common, with a massive room to walk and yet everyone seems to walk on the golf course and set up a picnic on the banks around the green oblivious to little white missiles potentially heading their way
Blue in Munich
Crocked Professional Yeti Impersonator
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/28/who-owns-england-guy-shrubsole-review-land-ownership
This will give you some idea of the agenda.
ferenezejohn
Newbie
What about that other MP do as we say type, Steven Kinnock, 300 mile trip to see his old man.
Then tries to say he was delivering necessary items when he got rumbled.
Then tries to say he was delivering necessary items when he got rumbled.
backwoodsman
Tour Winner
Interesting read.
Just makes me more convinced that he's cynically using the covid/exercise/separation argument as a means towsrds his bigger aim.
Blue in Munich
Crocked Professional Yeti Impersonator
Personally think he knows he will never get those who really own huge areas so he’s picking on an easier target under the perception that golf is an elitist sport. If he is successful he will potentially cause a lot of grief for a great number of ordinary working people who happen to enjoy golf. I have little time for his type.
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
We have seen, and continue to see, the insanely stupid behaviour of some members of society that can't folow simple instructions such as Stay at Home and Stay 2 metres apart.
These are the people who, if golf courses are opened, will drive several miles to exert their right to a green space to exercise on.
They will then park themselves and sunbathe for a couple of hours - thus breaking another instruction to only go out for medical reasons, food or exercise....lying around flat on kn your back is not exercise. Or they will have a bbq .....
This is the reality.
Some, maybe many, will walk to the course, walk around it and walk home.
There will be plenty that won't.
Another factor is that golf courses, if they are still being maintained, (which, of course, most are) are actually places of work.
Having people wandering around the course could spread the virus to the staff.....
So I doubt it's going to happen and if it does it will,only be for a day or so as some idiotic lowlife will do so ething stupid enough to warrant closing them.
These are the people who, if golf courses are opened, will drive several miles to exert their right to a green space to exercise on.
They will then park themselves and sunbathe for a couple of hours - thus breaking another instruction to only go out for medical reasons, food or exercise....lying around flat on kn your back is not exercise. Or they will have a bbq .....
This is the reality.
Some, maybe many, will walk to the course, walk around it and walk home.
There will be plenty that won't.
Another factor is that golf courses, if they are still being maintained, (which, of course, most are) are actually places of work.
Having people wandering around the course could spread the virus to the staff.....
So I doubt it's going to happen and if it does it will,only be for a day or so as some idiotic lowlife will do so ething stupid enough to warrant closing them.
cliveb
Head Pro
If it starts to look as if this petition in gaining momentum, then I think the best course of action would be for golf clubs to pre-empt the possibility of having things imposed on them by announcing "we are happy to allow the general public to walk on our course during this lockdown, on the understanding that if any damage whatsoever is caused, then we will withdraw permission immediately"
Jacko_G
Blackballed
Gathering momentum - the stop the war movements during the Iraq invasions had a lot of "momentum" and that didn't work.
Idiots sign these petitions thinking it's "cool".
