UK courses when social distancing eases before travel increases

[jubileelinks]

Like everyone I am hopeful that the social distancing measures in the UK will ease so we get some semblance of a season - my back garden is now one large divot field.

Presumably local travel will be possible before international travel - lots of courses have a huge amount of expensive tee times taken up by tourists (often American).

Do folks think that there will be a period of time when UK golfers will have a surplus of tee times available so we could start ticking off bucket list or special occasion courses that are now looking for business -

Trying to find a bright side to all of this and starting to dream

 

[GB72]

I would be more concerned about getting a tee time at my home course (not that I have one at the moment). Going to be plenty of people desperate for a round of golf and plenty of courses looking to recoup some of their losses. May be me being a bit 'glass half empty' but can see those clubs with tee booking that are willing to sell off tee times being rammed form the day that the lockdown ends to the extent that it may be a struggle for members to get a reasonable tee time. Would not have been an issue at my old club as I only play at weekends and it is members and their guests only at weekends but I could see that restriction being lifted to get funds in the coffers.

 

[IanM]

Got Celtic Manor 20 mins down the road. I expect they will be mad keen to get some cash in after being mothballed. Not sure if they'll be having "offers" to get folk in, or changing more because of huge post lock-down demand!

Private members clubs will be busy with members regardless..... but I bet opening day will be raining and blowing a gale!! (but I am going out regardless!)

 

[Deleted member 17920]

I wonder if clubs will be allowed to accept visitors when we are allowed to reopen.

I wonder if it will be members only to try limit travel.

I know I would be keen on travelling to take up any offers if the tourists are not coming and a deal to be had.

Oh come on Loch Lomond, open those gates to me

 

[jubileelinks]

Think my club will be rammed when we are finally allowed out - I was putting together a list of courses nearby that I would like to play but dont have the time or the money - Think the shutdown has made me value course time over buying a shiny new driver.
Lucky enough to live near a lot of courses in Scotland that in the summer are often members or tourists - hoping that there might be a few times available to tick a few off the list

 

[CliveW]

My feeling is that when courses do re-open it will be a maximum of two players per tee time.

 

[Crazyface]

I was thinking about this, aren't we all, but why can't we have single golfers now?

 

[jim8flog]

I reckon the first thing that will happen is bigger gaps between tee times and maybe a limit of the number of players per tee time so there will be little opportunity to fit everybody in anyway.
Maybe we will see a limit to the number of times a member can play each week.

 

[jim8flog]

I was thinking about this, aren't we all, but why can't we have single golfers now?

Unnecessary travel. Most clubs you will need a car to get there, particularly if you need to take your kit from house to the course.

 

[GB72]

I was thinking about this, aren't we all, but why can't we have single golfers now?

I would add trust to that. The weekend before the lockdown, social distancing meant to be in force, groups of golfers meeting up as if nothing was going on, many in high risk categories. Who is to ensure that, once out of site of the clubhouse, those single golfers do not join up. Who keeps an eye on things to ensure that everyone is playing as a single golfer, do you unfurlough staff to monitor the tees and the course adding further losses to the club. How do you even do this fairly. To keep the distancing you have maybe a tee off every 10 minutes so 6 golfers out an hour, lets say 10 hours of tee times for simplicity and that is 60 people out per day. With many clubs having 500 plus members, many on furlough and crawling up the walls, how do you decide who gets to play.

You then have people who are current non golfers or part time golfers. Suddenly they can get out in the sun for a few hours with nobody looking judgementally at what they are doing. Suddenly everyone is a golfer and you could end up with all sorts of numbers at public courses trying to get out and forming crowds.

Then there is the PR side of things. Why should golf be allowed when other sports are not, tennis is more than 2m apart, bowls can be socially isolated etc and suddenly every sport is vying for an exception or people just ignore the rules unde the thought that if golfers can play their sport, why cannot we. Oh and then the media will be on it as elitist golfers getting preferential treatment.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

I would add trust to that. The weekend before the lockdown, social distancing meant to be in force, groups of golfers meeting up as if nothing was going on, many in high risk categories. Who is to ensure that, once out of site of the clubhouse, those single golfers do not join up. Who keeps an eye on things to ensure that everyone is playing as a single golfer, do you unfurlough staff to monitor the tees and the course adding further losses to the club. How do you even do this fairly. To keep the distancing you have maybe a tee off every 10 minutes so 6 golfers out an hour, lets say 10 hours of tee times for simplicity and that is 60 people out per day. With many clubs having 500 plus members, many on furlough and crawling up the walls, how do you decide who gets to play.

You then have people who are current non golfers or part time golfers. Suddenly they can get out in the sun for a few hours with nobody looking judgementally at what they are doing. Suddenly everyone is a golfer and you could end up with all sorts of numbers at public courses trying to get out and forming crowds.

Then there is the PR side of things. Why should golf be allowed when other sports are not, tennis is more than 2m apart, bowls can be socially isolated etc and suddenly every sport is vying for an exception or people just ignore the rules unde the thought that if golfers can play their sport, why cannot we. Oh and then the media will be on it as elitist golfers getting preferential treatment.

I think things may have changed.

Before the ban there was the (sadly) typical response of this doesn't apply to me attitude. Roll-ups were still scheduled and people were meeting up in groups before and after a round. I doubt this will be the case going forward so if a sensible way of opening courses (not necessarily clubhouses) can be found I think players will be more receptive to observing a different way of playing. Whilst this will sadly preclude many of the social aspects to golf this will have to be the case until we can begin the long road back to normality.

 

[GB72]

I think things may have changed.

Before the ban there was the (sadly) typical response of this doesn't apply to me attitude. Roll-ups were still scheduled and people were meeting up in groups before and after a round. I doubt this will be the case going forward so if a sensible way of opening courses (not necessarily clubhouses) can be found I think players will be more receptive to observing a different way of playing. Whilst this will sadly preclude many of the social aspects to golf this will have to be the case until we can begin the long road back to normality.

Sadly I do not have the same level of faith. There are too may people who will thin, oh a 2 ball will be fine and just go ahead with that. Sadly there are idiots everywhere. You also have the issue with the clubs and their finances. This may encourage a few more members to sign up for the year, a good thing. But that has to counteract the fact that you then need more greenkeeping staff off furlough to maintain the course, people to monitor the rules on social distancing are adhered to, maybe someone in the shop, maybe someone on the tee to monitor start times etc. The club would gain little extra income but massively increase expenditure.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It will depend solely on the rules, and whether it remains "essential" travel and how efficiently it gets policed. If we get back to the situation the weekend before lockdown then I am sure courses will be rammed and most will be offering green fees to get some much needed cash in. To be honest having paid my membership for the year I'd rather just go to my club and get my money's worth as much as I can

 

[Ethan]

The rules proposed previously by England Golf were fairly sensible and if followed by players achieved the requirement for social distancing. I see no reason why in a softened social distancing situation things couldn't return to that, with clubhouse access limited and on-course distancing and contact free (raised liner in the hole etc) play practiced. The current rules do allow driving to an exercise place where necessary, and I think this could cover many golfers who play at relatively local clubs.

 

[ferenezejohn]

Look out Nessie

Wrong Loch?

 

[Val]

I was thinking about this, aren't we all, but why can't we have single golfers now?

You can but not for comps

 

[Diamond]

I would add trust to that. The weekend before the lockdown, social distancing meant to be in force, groups of golfers meeting up as if nothing was going on, many in high risk categories. Who is to ensure that, once out of site of the clubhouse, those single golfers do not join up. Who keeps an eye on things to ensure that everyone is playing as a single golfer, do you unfurlough staff to monitor the tees and the course adding further losses to the club. How do you even do this fairly. To keep the distancing you have maybe a tee off every 10 minutes so 6 golfers out an hour, lets say 10 hours of tee times for simplicity and that is 60 people out per day. With many clubs having 500 plus members, many on furlough and crawling up the walls, how do you decide who gets to play.

You then have people who are current non golfers or part time golfers. Suddenly they can get out in the sun for a few hours with nobody looking judgementally at what they are doing. Suddenly everyone is a golfer and you could end up with all sorts of numbers at public courses trying to get out and forming crowds.

Then there is the PR side of things. Why should golf be allowed when other sports are not, tennis is more than 2m apart, bowls can be socially isolated etc and suddenly every sport is vying for an exception or people just ignore the rules unde the thought that if golfers can play their sport, why cannot we. Oh and then the media will be on it as elitist golfers getting preferential treatment.

In tennis you touch the same balls throughout. In bowls you Both touch the jack, in crown green you both touch the footer and you are less than a metre away throughout, in competitive league bowls you have 2 measurers measuring distances within 2 metres. Maybe tennis can get by outdoors and having one ball each but it would get bitty. Bowls won’t be competitive this year. Maybe practice allowed with a maximum of singles practicing on the green.

If the top men in parliament decide to ease lockdown rules to allow golf for members only golf, singles, 10 mins between tee times I will be there every day and my handicap will tumble!
Give us a week or 2 before you open the pubs at least.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

The rules proposed previously by England Golf were fairly sensible and if followed by players achieved the requirement for social distancing. I see no reason why in a softened social distancing situation things couldn't return to that, with clubhouse access limited and on-course distancing and contact free (raised liner in the hole etc) play practiced. The current rules do allow driving to an exercise place where necessary, and I think this could cover many golfers who play at relatively local clubs.

Many courses in the USA still open doing exactly this.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

If soon the rules are relaxed to the point that you can play golf, then I shall play alone, or with a friend who is as keen to keep to social distancing as I am.
Then it's home, no clubhouse, bar etc.
No way will I play as normal, competitions etc.
I'd like to, but that's a long long way off.

 

[sunshine]

Many courses in the USA still open doing exactly this.

Amazingly, most US courses that are open are still allowing buggies (carts). Not that surprising but totally nuts!