Golf, tennis clubs reopen, restrictions loosen in England

‘We recommend, clubs and facilities pursue simplest and safest option’

LONDON, May 14, (AP): Liam Harrison missed golf so much that he left his house at 4 a.m. Wednesday to be the first to tee off at his club in Manchester.

The 42-year-old Harrison even believes he was the first golfer to play anywhere in England following the loosening of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions on golf courses and tennis courts.

Harrison helped put cups into three greens on Tuesday as part of his Youtube series on groundskeepers at Chorlton-cum-Hardy Golf Club, where he is a member.

“That got me permission to tee off any time I want,” he said. “This morning I thought I’ll tee off at 5 a.m. and be the first person in the U.K. to play golf after the lockdown.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday outlined a “road map” for easing the restrictions while maintaining forms of social distancing.

“If we follow the guidelines, we should be absolutely fine,” she said.

The club is 1,280 feet above sea level, Douglas said, which makes for beautiful views, especially from the 8th tee.

“You can see all over Wales and back into England,” she said. “It’s about the highest spot on the course.”

About 75% of members renewed their subscriptions in April, which is lower than previous years but still

“quite good” all Douglas said.

England Golf, the governing body of amateur golf in England, said it’s unclear if pro shops and driving ranges can reopen under the new guidelines.

“We recommend that, where there is any room for doubt, clubs and facilities pursue the simplest and safest option,” the organization, which oversees 1,800 clubs and 630,000 players, said in a statement on its website.

things considered,

Choi Ye-rim of South Korea wearing a face mask watches her tee shot on the 1st hole during the first round of the KLPGA Championship at the Lakewood Country Club in Yangju, South Korea, Thursday, May 14, 2020. (AP)

To protect workers, England Golf instructed clubs to stagger work hours and break times and allocate individual machinery like mowers to one worker only. Other measures include regularly disinfecting surfaces such as door handles.

In London, Nancy Pace had booked a tennis court for Wednesday at Will to Win Regent’s Park, but it was canceled because the club needed time to prepare, she said. Instead, she’ll play Friday.

Players want to resume earning full salaries now that they are back to training and the league is expected to restart.

The players practiced normally on Tuesday. The club from southeastern Spain said it was negotiating with them.

Like most clubs in Spain, Elche used government furloughs to reduce its labor costs during the pandemic. Players had their salaries - and working hours - reduced by 70%.

Club CEO Patricia Rodríguez told Spanish local radio network COPE she was surprised with the players’ decision because the club had already made them an offer to adjust their salaries.

She said players are not being required to work overtime under the furlough conditions.

“Even though they are going to the stadium, they are only exercising for about 45 minutes, which is within the reduction stipulated by the furlough,” she said.

Soccer players in Spain are currently allowed to undergo individual training sessions at their team’s training camps, with longer group sessions and full squad practices expected in the coming weeks if the pandemic doesn’t get worse.

Rodríguez said that when players start working for longer periods, the furlough conditions will be adjusted. She said the coaching staff had already requested changes in their furloughs because they are having to put in more time, as players are practicing at different periods during the day.