Clubhouses in England can reopen – here’s what clubs need to do

Golf clubhouses in England will be able to re-open next month – as long as they can demonstrate they are “Covid-19 safe”.

Following the prime minister Boris Johnson’s latest easing of the coronavirus lockdown, which paved the way for pubs and restaurants to re-open from July 4, golf’s professional bodies have issued guidance on what that means for clubs and golf facilities in the country.

In a joint statement, the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA), British & International Greenkeepers’ Association (BIGGA) and Golf Club Managers’ Association (GCMA), England Golf, along with other golfing organisations, said: “The headline announcement is that pubs and restaurants will now be able to open from the 4th July as long as they can demonstrate that they are “COVID-19 safe”. This includes those within golf clubhouses or other golfing facilities.

“In the first instance, a risk assessment should be carried out, the details of which should be shared with your workforce.  For organisations of over 50 employees, this should be published on your website.
 
“In order to make it more viable for the hospitality industry to open, the Government has given scope to relax the current 2m Social Distancing rules in certain instances to allow ‘1m Plus’, which means remaining 1m apart whilst taking other mitigation to reduce the risk of transmission.
Other measures include: 

• Keeping a temporary record of customers for 21 days to assist with NHS Track and Trace Requests
• Providing clear guidance on arrival of Social Distancing & Hygiene measures in place at the venue
• Utilising contactless payment wherever possible
• Calculating the maximum number of customers it is safe to accommodate taking into account either the 2m Social Distancing rule or new “1m plus” rule.
• Where PPE is already being used, it should continue to be, however workplaces should not encourage the precautionary use of extra PPE and risk assessment should reflect the limited role such equipment will play.
• Table service should be offered with a designated server wherever possible. In instances where bar or counter service is unavoidable, customers need to be prevented from remaining at the bar after ordering.

“The full guidance is available here and all involved in golf in England should review it as soon as possible so they can begin putting in place the necessary steps to ensure your business can continue to open-up safely.”

For the full statement, visit BIGGA’s website. What do you think of the guidance? Let me know in the comments, or tweet me.

• Related: The Scottish Golf app dragging clubs into the digital age
• Related: England Golf: Toughest times still ahead for clubs
• Related: Rounds played in Britain soar as golfers emerge from lockdown

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