Yes, the news on return to golf after lockdown is something to be happy about, express relief of, and get excited. The announcement has brought back new life to the golf courses and invigorated the golfers. That they can step out in their routine practice is like to get refreshed after an 8-week extended homestay. In response, clubs in the overwhelming majority have already started their preparations to be back in golf. According to the new guidelines, the clubs will have to ensure certain things so that social distancing is maintained.
All the new updates advised by the authority are the golf social distancing guidelines to keep every individual involved in a safe distance. Only then can they arrange two-ball and four-ball golf matches. If they can conduct score boarding in a way other than the traditional practice, they can even organize stroke matches – the most popular golf playing format across the globe.
Why Restrictions in playing golf during a pandemic?
Golf after lockdown is nothing but a sensitive response to the yearning of the golf industry. Golf is one of the games played among fewer players, and the lowest number of competitors to compete in a golf match is two. Players need not mandatorily come into direct contact with each other when playing. But there are certain moments and situations in the course of the game when participants need to go into indirect touch or get pretty close, amounting to a violation of social distancing.
Moreover, there come a vast number of spectators around the golf location where a match is taking place. These are the reasons lockdown was imposed on playing golf along with all other indoor and outdoor games. With the Covid-19 pandemic situation showing a downward trend, authorities and regulatory bodies relax the ban on the elite game. But not without the new golf social distancing rules that must be observed by the players and imposed or implemented by the clubs.
Today, in this short article, we will cover the latest updates or post-lockdown golf rules to follow.
Here is how to Play Golf After lockdown:
Overall golf courses after lockdown
Golfers after the lockdown will witness the golf course anew. They will miss certain things they have been used to. The bunkers will be without rakes, which means that the players now have to smooth the sand in the bunkers using the club and shoes. To make a list longer, now there will be no bin, ball washer, benches and drinking fountain. All the mentioned things will go missing from the course.
A golf course being an extensive area requires the mentioned facilities scattered across the several-kilometer golf green. But they are the things that will surely come into contact with every player engaged when playing a match. Another such thing that is touched by every participant is the flagstick. Unlike the other placed-out things, it will stay upright in the typical location but no golfer can contact it now.
Practice zones in the course are specially mentioned in the eight-page social distancing golf rules to keep closed. And even the nets will remain closed if the players do not practice safe sanitization methods.
Necessary precaution before playing
The new golf rules after lockdown request the clubs to introduce the system of booking and allotment of tee times before every round. And there must be a minimum gap of 10 minutes between the two consecutive tee times.
If group matches are to take place, a group must not consist of more than two players. To the utter dismay of the golfers, the clubhouses and locker rooms will not be accessible. But the toilets will remain open for limited use.
The typical spots like pro shop, practice putting green, and starter's hut have the close gathering. The clubs must ensure social distancing in those places either by club directives or verbal motivations.
Like the practice nets area, the crucial hiring items like trolleys and buggies may be allowed only if the users follow safe sanitization practices.
Necessary precaution during the match
The respective clubs organizing golf matches in this situation must provide proper guidance to the players that they must keep 2-meter distance from each other. Not to limit only in guidance, the clubs must remind the players off and on about the mandatory 2-meter distance.
Moreover, no player should touch a stray ball.
Post-Round Precautions
For obvious reasons, golfers must leave the club as soon as possible after the competition rounds are over. Thus how the gathering must be avoided.
To be safe, you should to take some more precautions. Like before packing up it in your car spray the equipment with some disinfectant such as the golf push cart handle, exterior side of the bag, etc.
Learn More: https://golfshub.com/return-to-golf-after-lockdown/
This was originally published on Golfs Hub.