When Will Golf Courses In The UK Re-Open?

Golf courses in the UK have been closed for over six weeks, but are they on the verge of re-opening?

Government Responds To Petition For Golf To Be Re-Opened
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Golf courses in the UK have now been closed for over six weeks, but are they on the verge of re-opening?

When Will Golf Courses In The UK Re-Open?

Golf courses in the UK have been closed for over six weeks due to the Coronavirus lockdown but there is some hope that they may be re-opening fairly soon.

That's because Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that sports can continue this Wednesday 13th May.

"From this Wednesday, we want to encourage people to take more and even unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise," the Prime Minister said on Sunday evening.

"You can sit in the sun in your local park, you can drive to other destinations, you can even play sports but only with members of your own household."

Boris Johnson also said that journeys to exercise are now allowed, which previously ruled out courses opening due to journeys that were not for food, medicine or key work being deemed unnecessary.

Related: Boris Johnson opens door for golf in the UK to return this week

England Golf said that it has ackowledged Boris Johnson's statement.

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Most of the USA's golf courses are currently open and many of Europe's are also now open too.

The Republic of Ireland's courses are due to re-open for members living within 5km on the 18th May.

The chairman of the UK Parliament’s All-Party Group for Golf recently said that golf “can, and should, return quickly."

The British and International Greenkeepers Assocation (BIGGA), which has been liaising with golf's stakeholders throughout the lockdown, says it is planning for two different eventualities.

One of them is that golf courses "may receive permission to open at very short notice, perhaps even overnight."

Another is that courses will be given one or two weeks notice to re-open.

Related: R&A reveals how golf will be played post-lockdown

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV