[Thomas Dai]

I'd be happy to re-start with pre-booked 2-balls at 15 min interval tee-times and relax from there as circumstances permit. Doesn't have to be 18-holes either - if the layout easily permits even split the course into 2-9's or 3x6's so more folks can get out and enjoy some play.
And if the course become excessively busy possibly have an individual limit of only one or two games per week so the same folks don't hog the course, which is likely as more folks than usual ain't at work.
Staggered regional re-opening too perhaps in conjunction with existing travelling limitations, as in risk management/containment. Outer Hebrides before say inside the M25 and the like.
Better to be playing some golf than none.
atb

[MKrohn]

I will be very surprised if clubhouses open before September in the UK, I’d guess we will be playing by the start of June however changing shoes in the car park, playing two ball singles and going home isn’t very appealing to me.

I get the thing about changing in the car park and clubhouses remaining closed, but I can't understand how 2-balls are intrinsically safer than 3 or 4-balls so long as everyone follows the social distancing protocols to which we have all become quickly accustomed.


Protocols which will surely remain in place for the indefinite future.


A sensible 4-ball on a golf course surely carries far less risk of virus transmission than 4 people in a railway carriage or on an airplane.  Or walking along a city street.


Or are 2-balls simply the thin end of the wedge that gets courses open again?

Whilst your contention about safety on a train vs a golf course is certainly valid given where we are now, 2 balls were a necessary consequence where I live (Sydney), not from the golf authorities but from the State government who limited the amount of people "exercising" as a group to two people, don't know if this applied anywhere else.


From this Friday that restriction will be changed and I expect we will go to groups of three @7 minute intervals.


I would not expect players to be hitting off two tees as that increases the traffic around the club and car park.


Anyway, things certainly more positive.

[Jon Wiggett]

Duncan,


that's like saying because crossing a motorway without looking at rush hour is more dangerous than crossing an A road why shouldn't we do the latter.


I can see the point of saying household groups but otherwise it makes more sense to play as singles.

[Adrian_Stiff]

You can't beat a bit of Quarantine!

[Jon Wiggett]

You can't beat a bit of Quarantine!

Welcome to the virtual world!!!! 

[Kalen Braley]

I'm not understanding why 3 or 4 per group is unreasonable either.

Assuming no cart sharing...just basic good golf etiquette usually means you're at least 10 feet away from everyone else most of the time.  Other than congregating a bit on the tee box, I can hardly think of other scenarios where this is the case. 

[Jonathan Mallard]

I'm already canceling my travel arrangements for Ireland this summer. Was planning on spending July in and around Donegal, but it seems exceedingly unlikely travel/restaurant/quarantine restrictions will be lifted by then ... at least not to the extent that such a trip would be enjoyable. I'm hoping that at least within the US, travel opens up enough this summer so that I could road trip through CO, WY and MT instead. But I'm not going to hold my breath.

I haven't cancelled our travel plans for Ireland this July, yet. But, I've stopped making further arrangements to wait and see. While the case load for the US and other areas was dropping yesterday, in certain locales, the case load is increasing.


Another concerning item is the global food supply. Articles like this one don't paint a rosy perspective of what lies ahead.


https://www.wsj.com/articles/pork-industry-usda-discuss-euthanizing-hogs-after-coronavirus-closes-plants-11588015611?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=7

[Jon Wiggett]

I'm not understanding why 3 or 4 per group is unreasonable either.

Assuming no cart sharing...just basic good golf etiquette usually means you're at least 10 feet away from everyone else most of the time.  Other than congregating a bit on the tee box, I can hardly think of other scenarios where this is the case. 

I agree it is not much different to a twosome but your a lot less likely to pass on or catch the virus if you play solo.

[Ulrich Mayring]

It's much harder to keep the distance, if you have to watch three people compared to one. No one can sneak up on you behind your back. It's way easier to get out of the way on tee boxes.

[Kalen Braley]

It's much harder to keep the distance, if you have to watch three people compared to one. No one can sneak up on you behind your back. It's way easier to get out of the way on tee boxes.

Ulrich,


Can't say i've ever had that problem when golfing...even before all this started.  But perhaps you need to stop playing with cretins. 

[Jerry Kluger]

I have been very fortunate that we have been able to continuously play golf and I think we have all been very aware of keeping distances, etc.  Those riding are using single carts except if immediate family member and cups are 3 inches above ground so no one reaches into hole or touches the flags and there are no rakes in the bunkers.   We try to use continuous putting and aware of distancing on tees and greens.  There is quite a bit of room to follow the guidelines if you pay attention.

[Ian Mackenzie]

I will be very surprised if clubhouses open before September in the UK, I’d guess we will be playing by the start of June however changing shoes in the car park, playing two ball singles and going home isn’t very appealing to me.

I get the thing about changing in the car park and clubhouses remaining closed, but I can't understand how 2-balls are intrinsically safer than 3 or 4-balls so long as everyone follows the social distancing protocols to which we have all become quickly accustomed.


Protocols which will surely remain in place for the indefinite future.


A sensible 4-ball on a golf course surely carries far less risk of virus transmission than 4 people in a railway carriage or on an airplane.  Or walking along a city street.


Or are 2-balls simply the thin end of the wedge that gets courses open again?

Exactly.
Golf in Illinois resumes on Friday with:


1. Twosomes only
2. Tee times 15 minutes apart
3. No locker room, change in parking lot 10 minites before your time
4. No practice range or green.


We are excited to play, dont get me wrong, but see an over-rotation here.


Watch...pace of play will be 3:30 anyway...;-)

[David_Tepper]

"Let's not screw this up"

https://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2020/4/28/hey-golfers-lets-not-screw-this-up-2

[David_Tepper]

Looks like the UK quarantine will go into effect on June 8 (2 months too late?):

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/arrivals-uk-face-14-day-quarantine-government-plan-70828395

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/world/live-coronavirus-world-cases.html

[Daryl David]

Makes no sense.

[Ben Stephens]

Makes no sense.

It is supposedly put in place as one of the reasons to prevent a larger 2nd wave of COVID 19 cases now that the 1st wave is in a downward effect.

[Mark Pearce]

Makes no sense.

Would you like to expand?  What makes no sense is that they waited so long. 

[Ben Stephens]

Makes no sense.

Would you like to expand?  What makes no sense is that they waited so long.

Mark


Ask the scientists (Sir Patrick Vallance explained it in a broad sense in the COVID 19 daily update yesterday) it is their advice that the government is basing this on in part    London has the lowest r rate in the whole country at present yet people are still coming in the main airports  . It is likely to be aimed at preventing a second peak look at historical pandemics especially Spanish flu where the second wave was the biggest killer not the first one. Timings are supposed to be important I hope they expand their reasonings soon.


Cheers
Ben

[Thomas Dai]

Irrespective of any 14 day Q the UK isn't exactly flush with visitor/tourist accommodation and places to eat-out these days.
Things ain't what they used to be.
atb

[Adrian_Stiff]

The way the UK government has handled things leads me to think they are taking advice from the Zucker brothers!


Currently it is impossible to travel for golf for a non-resident, the whole of 2020 could be totally written off. I would imagine most top 100 clubs would be shedding staff when the furlough scheme ends because that will be winter.

[Ben Stephens]

Imagine what it is like for France, Spain and Portugal who rely mostly on golf tourism. In comparison the UK golf tourism is much smaller if coming from abroad and most clubs rely on membership payments and green fees from UK golfers. I think more UK golfers will travel within the UK over the next year or two.   

[jeffwarne]

At this point I really don't get it for the US or the UK.
Both countries and in the top 5 of cases per capita,and ironically the one country exempt is Ireland where their per capita infection rate is  HIGHER than the UK and rivaling the US.
The UK has a similar infection rate to Italy and is one of the higest in Europe.


The US quarantining anyone visiting seems silly-as the leader in total and per capita cases-America First.


Can't imagine being in the tourism industry in the UK.


The ship sailed months ago-time to go to plan B.
Testing and social distancing are the answers, not continued mindless and pointless isolation(except for the vulnerable).

[Lou_Duran]

Leaving the politics of all this behind, should I write-off my planned trip to Scotland in early August?


Have never visited Banff.   Might this be a good substitute?

[Daryl David]

Leaving the politics of all this behind, should I write-off my planned trip to Scotland in early August?


Have never visited Banff.   Might this be a good substitute?

Banff would be a nice trip provided the US/Canada border is open by then or if open, that Canada will not require US visitors to quarantine like the U.K.  50/50 on both those.

[Mark_Fine]

I had a trip to Ireland planned in late July and zero chance I will go even if things opened up.  With the situation/rules changing constantly, the last thing I want to do is get stuck in quarantine somewhere while taking a fun but non-essential trip.  Testing and contact tracing is key but the result of that is you can get quarantined somewhere for 14 days or more.  That is what happened to my son in Vietnam.  He checked into a hotel, was literally there for only three hours and someone in the hotel tested positive and he and everyone else in the hotel were quarantined for 14 days.  All worked out fine for him as he needs to be in the country for work but that is what can happen (and will happen) when more widespread testing and contact tracing starts taking place elsewhere like in the US.  If you are going to travel you have to be prepared to be away for a long time and also hope you don’t get sick. 

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