British amateur golfers have been given the go-ahead to continue to play recreational golf amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The declaration that golf could continue at the grassroots level came from the British government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, in response to a question in the House of Commons from Dean Russell, the Conservative MP for Watford.
Russell reminded the House that regular exercise remained important for the health of the populace and asked specifically if people could continue to play golf.
Vallance responded in the affirmative before adding that it was essential that golfers, and individuals taking part in other recreational activities, adhere to the new guidelines regarding social distancing.
“We’re not asking everyone to be completely isolated,†he said. “The specific advice is to avoid close contact. A walk is OK if you keep your distance.â€
That stance is in stark contrast to what is happening on the Continent of Europe, where the game has been suspended in a large number of countries as part of efforts to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
There are no courses open in Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland, the Netherlands and Switzerland are among the other countries to be similarly affected, which does beg the question whether at some time in the future a similar lockdown will have to be imposed in the UK as well.
In meantime, the Home Unions and other governing bodies have been issuing advice to golf clubs and there also has been increasing dialogue among the clubs themselves as recommended in a detailed guideline document published by the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association, the PGA, the Golf Club Managers Association and the R&A.
The result of all this dialogue is that many clubs have introduced emergency procedures aimed at reducing the spread of the virus. But the situation is extremely fluid, and those emergency plans may well have to be altered or augmented in order to adhere to changes to government policy.
A small number of courses, including those operated by the Edinburgh and the North and South Lanarkshire Councils, have been shut. The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers is one of a slightly larger group of clubs which have closed their clubhouses, but the majority have elected to keep their course and clubhouse operations going, albeit with considerable additional safeguards built in.
Cleaning regimes have been intensified and golfers asked to wash their hands on arrival and after a round. Many clubs have arranged for management and clubhouse staff to work in isolation to reduce the potential spread of the virus and for the same reason greens staff at a growing number of facilities have been split and a shift system introduced.
Clubs have also introduced a raft of emergency measures aimed specifically at improving safety on the golf course.
The most important of those is to insist that all golfers adhere to government advice on keeping a safe distance (at least 2m) from their fellow players. Other measures introduced include allowing golfers to change their shoes in the car park, signing in with your own pencil or pen, removing flags from practice putting greens, not exchanging scorecards, always putting with the pin in, no pre- or post-round handshakes, the removal of all bunker rakes and ball washers and the banning of the use of air hoses and other cleaning tools. Some clubs have even elected to put hole cups in upside down or above the surface of the greens, declaring a ball is deemed to be “holed out†when it strikes the cup.
“We all need to work together as an industry,†said PGA chief executive Robert Maxfield. “By following a positive and sensible set of guidelines we can all adhere to, and then communicating those to golfers, we can continue to enjoy the sport in the months to come.
“The game can offer a level of social interaction which will be vital for certain sections of society.â€
Many British clubs have introduced measures to safeguard their members, but it seems a handful are going slightly further than others.
This became clear last week when European Tour player Chris Wood tweeted about his home club, Long Ashton near Bristol, providing a delivery service for members who are currently self-isolating. A wide range of food is available, including home-cooked frozen meals, bread, milk, eggs and vegetables.
The idea behind it is to let members know they are not alone. “If the members can’t come to Long Ashton, then Long Ashton can come to the members,†the club announced in its own tweet.
Daily Telegraph golf correspondent James Corrigan confirmed his own club, the Glamorganshire in South Wales, is doing something similar. They have sent a newsletter to members stating: “If you are self-isolating and require help, we are here. The team in the pro shop are very happy to collect prescriptions, pick up essential shopping or other critical items. ... And our catering team will be cooking large amounts of meals which we can deliver to members.â€
England Golf has announced all its championship and performance events scheduled to be played before June 7 have been postponed.
The casualties include the annual men’s match against France (May 9-10), the Brabazon Trophy (May 21-24), the English Women’s Amateur (May 27-31) and the English Seniors Amateur (June 3-5).
All England Golf regional and national squad sessions for men, women, boys and girls also have been cancelled until further notice but individual coaching sessions can continue, provided stringent government and expert advice on social distancing is adhered to.
“It is with regret that all England Golf events have been postponed until Sunday, June 7,†said James Crampton, the governing body’s director of championships. “Further information about potentially rescheduling some of these events for later in the year will be provided in due course.
“England Golf also recommends the postponement of all county and regional competitions during this time.
“Whilst England Golf are encouraging golfers to continue to play the game, the intricacies associated with championship golf such as players travelling to events, staying in hotels and the additional personnel associated with the management of events make it impossible to ensure the safety and welfare of all concerned.â€
Competitive amateur golf is rapidly shutting down across GB&I so it came as no surprise when the Public School Golf Association announced the postponement of the Halford Hewitt tournament, which is played annually over Royal Cinque Ports and Royal St George’s and is contested by 64 10-man teams from public schools across England and Scotland. It had been scheduled for April 2-5.
Nick Owen, the honorary secretary of the PSGA, said: “I regret to announce that following the revised UK Government guidelines announced last evening (March 16) the committee has had no alternative but to cancel this year’s Halford Hewitt.
“This is not a decision that has been taken lightly and alternative methods of staging the competition were considered, including avoiding access to clubhouses and keeping social interaction between teams to a minimum. Unfortunately, none of these would have been practical given the latest guidelines.
“The committee sympathises with the local hotels and guest houses who will lose out due to these unfortunate circumstances which are exceptional and beyond our control. Teams who will be cancelling accommodation are encouraged to make a gesture of goodwill towards what must be the start of a difficult period for those businesses.
“The committee will meet shortly to decide whether it is feasible to reschedule the tournament for later in the year and a further notice will be issued as soon as possible.â€
Other British events to be cancelled within the past few days included last week’s South of England Youths’ Championship for the Bernard Darwin Salver at Rye, all Golfing Union of Ireland and Irish Ladies Golf Union events scheduled for April, the Berkhamsted Trophy on April 2-4, the 40th Peter McEvoy Trophy, at Copt Heath on April 3-4, the R&A Student Tour Series Final at St Andrews and Carnoustie on April 5-7, the Duncan Putter at Southerndown on April 10-12 and the R&A Girls U-16 Amateur Championship at Fulford on April 24-26.
The postponement of the Berkhamsted Trophy is particularly unfortunate because it was to be played as a mixed event for the first time and had attracted a strong women’s entry including British champion Emily Toy and fellow Curtis Cup squad members Lily May Humphreys, Bel Wardle and Shannon McWilliam.
On the Continent, there also has been a rash of recent postponements and cancellations. Those added to the growing list on the European Golf Association website include the French International Lady Junior Championship (Esmond Trophy), the French International Boys’ Championship (Michel Carlhian Trophy), the Romanian Amateur Open and the French Men’s Amateur Stroke Play Championship (Murat Cup).
E-MAIL COLIN