Wait worth it as Scottish golfers get green light for 29 May return
● Relief as First Minister includes golf in phase one of easing and date is finally confirmed
Another day, another rollercoaster ride for Scottish golfers. Not for a long time has the BBC attracted so many golf fans tuning in at the same time and how ironic that it was to hear a much-anticipated statement being delivered than to see a tournament.
Initially, they heard what they wanted as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that golf had indeed been included along with tennis, bowls and angling in the outdoor activities set to be permitted in phase one of the Scottish Government’s lockdown exit route map.
Having seen the 550-odd courses here remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic as venues in England, Ireland and Wales have reopened in the past week, that was music to the ears of Scotland’s army of golfers.
Sets of golf clubs are already waiting at doors, shoes have been shined, the best clobber has been looked out. They are ready and raring to get back out on courses that are looking fantastic.
Not so pleasing at that particular time of the day, though, from the announcement in the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood was the fact that confusion ensued due to uncertainty around the actual date for the green light to be given for venues the length and breadth of the country to come out of hibernation.
“It’s 28 May,” some immediately declared on social media, but no such reference was specifically made about that being the case for golf, tennis, bowls and angling being back on the agenda.
That is the date of the Scottish Government’s next official review of the lockdown restrictions that have been in place since 23 March and, despite rumours to the contrary circulating in some parts of the country, golf courses will not be back operating before then.
If the R number remains at its current rate of between 0.7 and 1 by next Thursday, phase one will start being implemented, but that won’t mean golf courses opening up as soon as the First Minister leaves the lectern that day.
Yes, some clubs could be ready to react quickly and some of the likely guidelines aimed at delivering “safe golf ” were already in place before our courses closed en masse for the first time since the Second World War.
However, the First Minister had already said earlier in the week that it was likely that the easing of restrictions would start to be implemented
“within a few days” of that next review, pointing to either 29, 30 or 31 May and, more likely, 1 June for courses to actually reopen.
While that seemed to be accepted by the majority as Scottish golf chatter sent Twitter into meltdown for the umpteenth time, the uncertainty, coupled with a lengthy wait for “guidance documents” from Scottish Golf, sparked lots of frustration.
“Getting beyond a joke now,” wrote Alastair Forsyth, a twotime European Tour winner, on the social media site, expressing an opinion that was clearly being shared by others further afield.
“Must be an awful lot of frustrated Scottish golfers right now. Feel for them….. ” said Alistair Tait, a leading golf writer based in England, to which Scott Michaux, who used to work for the Augusta Chronicle, replied: “Gonna strip that ‘home of golf’ moniker.”
As the wait for those guidelines from the governing body stretched to more than four hours, the one thing that was already known was the Scottish
Government advising that travel for outdoor activities during phase one is to be “broadly within five miles”.
That, of course, immediately set alarm bells ringing all around the country. Lots of Edinburgh-based golfers are members at East Lothian clubs and likewise Glasgow golfers in Ayrshire. In both instances, those journeys are well beyond that general guideline.
“I’m 5.6 miles from my home club of Crail,” wrote one Fifebased golfer on Twitter, “and 11 miles from my other club, St Andrews. I wonder where this leaves me. How broad is broad... ”
It was just after 7pm before confirmation was delivered by Scottish Golf that the target date for reopening is indeed 29 May – a week today. That will depend on what happens in the next week in terms of that
R number, but it’s the target date clubs have been looking for and need to get everything in order.
Fair play to Scottish Golf for going for the earliest possible feasible date, though that, of course, is dependent on everything being right in just under a week’s time for the First Minister to push ahead with phase one.
All in all, it was worth the wait for those guidelines. Contrary to fears, the reopening in Scotland will not consist mainly of single players. Two balls made up of people from different households are being permitted, with clubs having the discretion to allow groups of up to four but only from two households.
Subject to final confirmation from the First Minister,the wait is almost over. Hallelujah for that!