When will golf courses reopen after lockdown?
When could golf courses reopen again?
Whilst the courses have reopened across most of the United States and in parts of Europe, the UK is waiting. After collaborative efforts, a proposal has been sent by the R&A to the Government and hopes are high that the fairways may be repopulated as soon as next week. In the Republic of Ireland, the courses will be given the green light from Monday, May 18, although only those living within 5km of the premises will be allowed to play.
What are the main stumbling blocks?
Naturally, it is whether the golf authorities has sufficiently shown that it is safe to resume. In essence, golf allows for social distancing, because of both its individualism and its terrain, a point noted by Craig Tracey, the chair Parliament’s All-Party Group. “The nature of the game means it can, and should, return quickly provided there are steps taken by all involved to maintain social distancing and to meet any other government instruction,” Travel said last week. The one stumbling block is the travel it requires to get the course and the inevitable increased amount of car traffic.
How will golf be adapted when courses reopen?
With clubhouses and locker rooms out of bounds, and with members and visitors needing to book tee-times before turning up, there will be obvious differences for golfers before a ball has even been struck. On the course, there will be no bunker rakes and the flagsticks shall remain in and not be touched. Clubs will be instructed to insert “hole-liners” so the ball cannot fall below the surface of the green and can be easily retrieved by handling the ball only. ‘Friendly' matchplay will be favoured and strokeplay competitions involving players in different groups will be avoided.
Golfers will be reminded that social distancing is just as important after a round, so when play has been completed they must leave the facility immediately to ensure “that there are no gatherings around the clubhouse area”. In other words, no “19th hole” of any description.
When will professional golf resume?
The Korean women’s tour is thought to be staging its first event next week - the KLPGA Championship - although no details have yet been made available. The PGA Tour intends to restart its schedule on June 11 with the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas and plans to have 25 weeks in succession. This is clearly dependent on advice and permission from the relative health and state authorities and the Tour has been clear that without the capacity to carry out extensive testing, it will not resume.
The European Tour has not updated its schedule, but the British Masters in Newcastle at the end of July remains on its rapidly dwindling calendar and could herald the resumption. The LPGA Tour has published its revised schedule and it is due to begin in mid July. The Ladies European Tour is still to declare when and where it will reappear, although it co-sanctions the Evian Masters in France and the Women’s British Open at Royal Troon with the LPGA and they are both inked in for August, with the Scottish Ladies Open in between making this a three week run. Obviously, this is all subject to change.
Will fans be able to attend tournaments?
The PGA Tour has announced that its first four tournaments will be staged behind closed doors - at least. In truth, nobody is expecting fans to be allowed to attend events in the foreseeable future.
When are this year's majors rescheduled for?
The USPGA Championship is now due to take place on Aug 6-9 at Harding Park in San Francisco, while the US Open at Winged Foot, New York has been put back to Sept 17-20. With the Open Championship cancelled for 2020, the Masters at becomes the last major of the year, from Nov 12-15.
Will the Ryder Cup take place as planned?
There has been no change of date for the biennial dust-up at Whistling Straits, Michigan - Sept 25-27. The hope is that fans will be allowed in, but there has been growing talk from the PGA of America and the European Tour if that is impossible then the match could be played without fans. This is despite the world’s top three players - Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka - all stating their opposition to the concept.
