IRELAND IS SET TO RETURN TO GOLF IN MID MAY

The Government of Ireland has announced that all golf courses in the Republic of Ireland can open from 18 May, on a restricted basis.

On Friday, the Government of Ireland published a phased Roadmap for the re-opening of the country. Phase 1 allows for some easing of restrictions on out-door activities. From 18 May it will be possible to:

"Open outdoor public sports amenities (e.g. pitches, tennis courts, golf courses etc) where social distancing can be maintained." and "People can exercise - either on their own or in a group of no more than 4 people - where social distancing can be maintained and where there is no contact with other people."

The national governing bodies for golf in Ireland, Golf Ireland, the Irish Ladies Golf Union and the Golfing Union of Ireland, all welcomed the decision. In a joint statement they confirmed:

"In the initial stage, play will be for members only and competitions will not be permitted. We would ask clubs to refrain from opening timesheets for booking until the protocol is published, as it will contain vital information on group sizes and timesheet intervals."

"The governing bodies will also continue to work closely with the Government in the coming weeks and months to seek support for golf clubs that have been severely impacted by the Covid-19 restrictions."

"As today’s announcement only relates to golf clubs in the Republic of Ireland, the governing bodies will continue to work with the U.K. authorities and the Northern Ireland Executive to seek the safe resumption of golf for our clubs in Northern Ireland."

Mark Kennelly, CEO of Golf Ireland, said:

“The golf community in Ireland welcomes the Taoiseach’s confirmation that our clubs can reopen on a restricted basis in the first phase of the Government’s plan to ease the Covid-19 restrictions. This means that golf will be one of the first sports to resume and will give golf club members the opportunity to return to play on a limited but safe basis.

“Golf offers the potential to play a significant role in the recovery from this crisis in public health terms. Our sport provides a valuable outlet for healthy outdoor activity which can be enjoyed with the appropriate safety measures in place”.

To read the joint statement issued by the national governing bodies for golf in Ireland click on the link below:
https://www.golfnet.ie/news/golf-welcomes-government-announcement