Golf courses remain close for now
Golfers in the state will have to wait a little longer before they can return to the golf courses.
KOTA KINABALU: Golfers in the state will have to wait a little longer before they can return to the golf courses.
Hopes were high for an early return when the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) was announced by the Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin last Friday, where among others allowing non-contact sports such as golf to resume activity starting yesterday.
However, Sabah opted not to implement the CMCO and instead maintained the implementation of Phase Four of the MCO which will end on May 12.
As such, golf courses in the state are to remain closed for now, according to Sabah Golf Association (SGA) president Datuk Peter Khoo, in compliance with the MCO.
“Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on May 1 of the Conditional MCO starting May 4, the Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) had announced and issued guidelines to be observed by all golf clubs in the nation who wish to re-open on May 4.
“The Sabah Golf Association (SGA) had also on May 2 issued our guidelines to golf clubs in Sabah, adopting MGA’s guidelines, in particular, in maintaining social distancing, sanitizing and stringent measures on hygiene to protect staff members, caddies, members and guests.
“For example, to maintain social distancing, only one golfer is allowed to be on a golf buggy, golfers are to maintain a minimum distance of two meters from one another, tee time interval is to be increased to 10 minutes interval and golf clubs need to record non-members’ names and mobile number for the purpose of tracing, etc, in the event of re-opening.
“However, the State Government has since decided to withhold the re-opening until May 12,” said Khoo in a statement to the press yesterday.
Khoo went on to say that in any event when it is fit to re-open, SGA urged golf clubs in Sabah to strictly adhere to the SOP issued under the Conditional MCO and all such directives as may be issued by the Ministry of Health at all times.
“We emphatically stressed our caution to golf clubs to prioritise maintaining social distancing, increased hygiene in the clubhouses and throughout the golf courses and to implement measures to observe and enforce strict compliance of the SOP and MGA’s guidelines.
“Though we are all looking forward to go back to golfing, but we must be cautious and therefore advise our member clubs to carefully deliberate in depth and consider reopening after putting all the stringent enforceable measures in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus and protect the safety and life of their employees, caddies, members and guests,” Khoo concluded his statement.