The worldwide coronavirus epidemic is currently forcing people to live their lives more cautiously, with measures in place like self-isolation and social distancing.
Courses are closed in countries like Italy, France and Spain due to nationwide lockdowns but we’ve also seen reports that courses are closed in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Cyprus.
In the UK, we’re lucky that our courses are still open but there are lots of preventative measures being taken to try and keep everybody safe.
From what we’ve seen, here are a number of things that different golf clubs across the UK are doing –
– Banning players from taking the flagstick out to avoid touching it
– A great initiative we’ve seen comes from St Annes Old Links where greenkeepers have fitted cups upside-down to help reduce contact
– Here’s another putting green initiative that has caught our eyes from Richter GC in Connecticut, USA, featuring a raised cup –
In an effort to keep our customers safe but also provide a recreational outlet we have raised all the cups 1” above the surface @RichterParkGC Putt till you hit the cup and then pick up ball and move on, no need to touch the flagstick. @MayorMarkpic.twitter.com/L7xGNhaUhi
Whilst all of this will surely help slow the spread of the coronavirus, it may be inevitable that the UK goes into a lockdown scenario similar to what we’ve seen across the continent.
We, as golfers, can only hope that situation doesn’t happen as, speaking as a non-medical expert, the golf course is a very safe place to be where self isolation and social distancing can easily be applied.
What is your club doing to combat coronavirus? Let us know on social media
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