When do you think you will next play golf?

[Shooter McPowick]

i suppose. my club has said it will take payment over the phone and visitors will park in the visitors car park and walk straight to the first tee. you might get the odd chancer I suppose

I’m just using my club as an example. I hear what you’re saying but unfortunately there’s a lot of people lacking common sense out there.
We don’t have a visitors car park and it would need policing in some way. That’s just more people knocking around.

 

[Shooter McPowick]

Telephone or the new fangled internet booking type thingy?

Possible but it would need to be policed somehow and this just puts the management of the club at greater risk.

 

[SammmeBee]

Possible but it would need to be policed somehow and this just puts the management of the club at greater risk.

Just the same as Members then......

 

[need_my_wedge]

As a member of a club that is open to visitors, I hope that it is only members allowed at first. We have been paying full membership to support the club, without being able to play. It would be a slap in the face to members if they are then unable to get tee times because they are booked by visitors.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

As a member of a club that is open to visitors, I hope that it is only members allowed at first. We have been paying full membership to support the club, without being able to play. It would be a slap in the face to members if they are then unable to get tee times because they are booked by visitors.

We have cancelled all the scheduled opens for the year giving members an additional 8 days available golf and the Northern Counties Seniors has been cancelled giving us another 2 days.

No idea about visitors yet but since we are so isolated I would suspect its going to be quiet for a while on that front.

 

[Shooter McPowick]

Just the same as Members then......

No, because members would turn up and play not having to stop at the pro shop to pay and nobody is required to police it. If it was known that a club was open to visitors with nobody policing it it would be carnage.
And just like wedge has just pointed out, it’s a slap in the face to the members holding the club up on a financial crutch.

 

[BubbaP]

How are non members supposed to book a tee time? The only way would be to go into the pro shop. They will be the people who just turn up and make the car park and any other areas busy. A limited number of people in the pro shop and on the first tee will create queues, like at Sainsbury’s and we all know that’s probably our biggest risk area.
A member books online and turns up 10 minutes before reducing any risk. Members are much more likely to respect the rules too.

Lots of courses have the ability for non members to book online, plus the various tee time sites where you also can pay in advance.

 

[Fish]

As a member of a club that is open to visitors, I hope that it is only members allowed at first. We have been paying full membership to support the club, without being able to play. It would be a slap in the face to members if they are then unable to get tee times because they are booked by visitors.

At the same time, most clubs have a 'society/visitors day', ours is a Thursday, so once the ban is lifted, and if a society or advance booking became live shortly after the course became open, then the only thing that could affect those advanced bookings would be if there was a travelling [essential journey] restriction still in place, but then, as I have previously highlighted, the ruling on exercise and travelling to it can be waivered if the exercise is longer than the journey, but that's very subjective as there is no clear red line!

This could be a situation for my forthcoming Rickg Charity day, we may all be able to play, but if there are travelling restrictions in any guise, it could scupper things!

A large society could bring much needed extra revenue to a club, obviously only for the green fee's as the clubhouse will no doubt be closed, but with clubs offering free months etc, this is revenue they will really need, I don't think members can have it both ways, as such, I would expect my club to honour any advanced bookings as they become available, but not take any new bookings for this year and allow the membership those tee times, especially if the gap in tee times is going be longer and there's a possible restriction on the amount of players in any group, thus meaning less members on the golf course at any one time!

We don't usually have tee times, so this will be a new experience anyway, but it was in practice for just a few days prior to the lockdown.

 

[Beezerk]

Allegedly my club is holding some form of meeting on the 11th to see how they can progress but definitely won't be re opening on that day.

 

[SammmeBee]

No, because members would turn up and play not having to stop at the pro shop to pay and nobody is required to police it. If it was known that a club was open to visitors with nobody policing it it would be carnage.
And just like wedge has just pointed out, it’s a slap in the face to the members holding the club up on a financial crutch.

Are you suggesting Members will be able to just rock up and play when they feel like then? Without any staff there to manage thr operation?

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Surely the answer should be for the first two or three weeks to be restricted to members only.

The Club could then monitor demand and if there are certain periods of the day when members' demand is low some tee-times could be made available to visitors booking and paying online.

Initially it should be restricted as it is members' subs that will have kept the Clubs alive during the lockdown.

 

[Jacko_G]

Golf on "rougher" courses, longer green heights, un-raked bunkers, they're really not selling this well.

 

[Imurg]

I dont think they have to sell it well
The fact that courses would be open would be enough for most I'm sure.
Why would they be rougher? Looks to me like most courses I see pictures of are ready to go
And it really doesn't take long to cut 18 greens a couple of mm shorter.....

 

[Jacko_G]

I dont think they have to sell it well
The fact that courses would be open would be enough for most I'm sure.
Why would they be rougher? Looks to me like most courses I see pictures of are ready to go
And it really doesn't take long to cut 18 greens a couple of mm shorter.....

Read the published guidelines.....

Stressing the grass due to being kept at heights, still reduced working capacity, working guidelines for greenkeepers etc etc

 

[Imurg]

Read the published guidelines.....

Stressing the grass due to being kept at heights, still reduced working capacity, working guidelines for greenkeepers etc etc

That's during the lockdown
Once golf is back on the menu all they have to do is reduce cutting heights to normal....
And it's not going to be "proper" golf for a while anyway...I think almost everyone accepts that.

 

[Solidthreeputt]

Allegedly my club is holding some form of meeting on the 11th to see how they can progress but definitely won't be re opening on that day.

Decent idea, not too far from the clubhouse, but far enough for the distancing to be enabled.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I follow a good few clubs on Facebook and they are all posting pictures of their courses doing a good impression of Augusta National. There is no way they will be playing rough and ready when courses open again.

 

[SammmeBee]

I see the expert green keepers are out this afternoon......

 

[garyinderry]

Decent idea, not too far from the clubhouse, but far enough for the distancing to be enabled.

Very funny haha

 

[Fish]

Copied from someone I follow on social media.

Highgate Village really does have a different lockdown to the rest of us it seems ...

1/ cars going into the golf club and lots of people gathering there, out on the course.

At first I thought volunteers for maintenance but then some social members rocked up and buzzed for entry.

2/ walked past someone’s gated house talking to someone he knew on the street
Man on street “how’s it all going with lockdown?”
Man in house “not too bad, it’s tough obviously but my mum came over just now to use to the pool, but she doesn’t come every day due to lockdown”!

3/ three pubs in the same street open their front beer gardens for takeaway draught beers and food.

Very pleasant just like normal times for some locals!