Scottish Golf has given us very specific guidelines to adapt for our third phase of opening which will be from Monday 14^th September

Please be respectful of all the rules and the people enforcing them, as it has been made clear that any breach could leave golf open to the lockdown being re-imposed.

Phase 3 Rules

The health and wellbeing of our staff, members and visitors is the highest priority for Binny Golf Club and we want to take this opportunity to share with you the steps we are taking to help combat the spread of Coronavirus.

So here are the rules. We will take you through a typical visit to the golf course in phase 3 of lockdown relaxation.

Before you arrive

• If you are ill at all, or suffering any symptoms of COVID-19 you must not come near the golf club.
• If you are in one of the high risk categories and are shielding, the guidance says you should stay away. That decision is yours to make. We take no responsibility.
• It is not permitted to turn up and play without an online or phone booking.
• Our normal 8 minute tee times will apply and tee times can only be booked from 7am to give our greenkeeper Des a chance to get ahead of the first golfers. Similarly the last booking at night must be the last group on the course.
• Tee times can be taken by 4 players, all from separate households, or some from the same household.
• If you book a time as a single golfer you must be prepared for the starter to add a second player or for another golfer to add their name online.
• Members guests and pay and play visitors are permitted at any time. .
• Before leaving the house please ensure that you have been to the toilet and you have your own hand sanitizer. It will not be permitted to share supplies with your partner, unless you are from the same house. Toilets will be only be available for emergency toileting situations.
• Trolleys can be hired..

Arrival at the course

• Park your car so that a 2 metre social distance can be maintained between you and the next car, when accessing your boot. Don’t leave excess amounts of space. Be considerate that we all need to fit in.
• It is not permitted to turn up more than 15 minutes before your booked tee time. If you do please remain in your car until 15 minutes before your time. Then assuming 5/10 minutes to prepare, you should not appear at the waiting area in the staff car park between the clubhouse and first tee, more than 5 minutes before your tee time.
• Meet your partner in the car park or in the waiting area 5 minutes before your tee time, if you don’t know them. Handshakes should be replaced by bows or nods or a simple hello/introduction.
• Practice putting green is open. The pins have been removed and the holes inverted so that balls can be easily removed without touching any part of the hole. There will be two holes cut close to each other at the practice area end of the green, 1 hole in the middle and 2 holes close at the golf course end. Please stick to one set of 2 holes per house group or the hole in the middle so that you socially distance from others on the green. Priority on the practice green is given to those about to tee off in the next 10 minutes. Be mindful that someone may be getting a lesson in one of the sets of two holes but there should be plenty space to accommodate 2 house groups safely for a very quick putt on the remaining holes prior to tee off.
• You are still able to use the nets to warm up as they are far enough apart but the common balls have been removed. Please use your own ones and remove after use.
• When entering the clubhouse a face covering must be worn. It is permitted to remove this if sitting at one of the inside tables for refreshments. Staff in the clubhouse will wear a face covering at all times.
• The clubhouse is open for purchases of balls, tees, sweets, drinks, tee coffee all to be taken away. The toilet will be accessible only for emergency toileting situations. Strictly one person at a time. Hand sanitiser should be used immediately on entering the clubhouse before selecting any items for purchase. You must go to the toilet in your house before you leave and preferably after you return home.
• On arrival at the waiting area at the staff car park, catch the attention of the starter to get authorisation to proceed to the 1^stStarter hours are 9am until 7pm weekdays and 9 until 5.30 at weekends.
• If the 1^sttee is not clear then please wait in the waiting area, no further, maintaining the social distance in your group. There will circles marked on the ground to assist.

General Play

• Play will be from the yellow markers for men and red 1-9 markers for ladies.
• The safety viewing steps on the first are taped off and not in use. From the yellow tee someone in the group must walk forward of the tee enough to see if the group in front are out of range, then walk back to the tee before teeing off.
• Remember to keep a minimum of 2 metres apart from your partners at all times during the round, with particular attention when you are likely to be together on tees and greens.
• Use your own hand sanitiser often on the way round.
• It is everyones responsibility to maintain a good speed of play and you must keep up with the group in front.
• Remember we all play ready golf now and the absolute maximum time for looking for a lost ball is 3 minutes
• If you arrive at a tee and the group in front are still there please do not enter the teeing ground and keep a sensible distance in excess of 2 metres from it and your partners.
• If the group behind arrive at the tee and you haven’t left it, it could be an indication that your group or a group in front are playing too slow. Please do your best to improve the speed of your play for everyone’s enjoyment.
• If you are arriving at a tee and having to wait but there is a gap behind you, it could be an indication you are going too fast, please adjust your speed of play for everyone’s enjoyment and be patient.
• When putting please leave the pin in and do not touch it. If your ball goes in the hole there will be something to stop it sinking far and you will be able to remove it safely without touching the pin or hole. Remember in casual play not every putt needs to be holed.
• All course equipment you could touch is out of action –
  • Ball washers, heads have been removed/covered up
  • Buckets have been removed (please take all your rubbish home with you)
  • Benches have been taped off or removed
  • Bunker rakes have been removed. If you go in a bunker we have a temporary local rule that you can take a preferred lie inside the bunker, lifting and placing within approximately one club length, not nearer the hole. (no measuring) After your shot, smooth the sand as best you can with your foot or club.
• Ball scoops have been removed from the ditches and ponds. If you have your own scoop with you it can be used but in no circumstances retrieve balls by standing on the slopes. The slopes are extremely slippy. You must always be on flat ground.
• Handshakes at the end of a round should be replaced by nods/bows/thank you
• At the end of your round please leave the course and car park area without delay. If you buy a tea/coffee for takeaway it will be possible to drink this for a short time outside the clubhouse on the grass/stones area with your playing partners while keeping a social distance.
• It is only permitted for 2 households to sit at an outdoor or indoor table, which are 1 metre social distancing areas
• The shoe cleaning brushes and the air hose are out of action and wont be available for use.

Practice area

• Please note if there are cars parked up the left hand side of the practice area, on the grass beyond the extent of the carpark hardstanding then the mats are not in action, play is only permitted from the bunkers, or chips of less than 30 yards to the right hand side green. A white line has been added to assist you and you should play from inside that white line to the right green. The left green is out of action.
• We will be accommodating PGA pro Andy Marshall for lessons on the practice area and putting green and he will be adhering strictly to the new PGA guidelines for 1:1 lessons and our booking slots. Please keep in mind that Andy is an integral part of our club and introduces a good number of new members to us and always talks up our club to his customers.
• Please use your own balls and ensure that all are removed on completion.

If we all follow these instructions very rigorously then, in these difficult times, the golf course should remain a safe, vital place of refuge and enjoyment and continue to have a very positive impact on our mental health and well-being. We will all get through this, together, as a club, if we respect each other and our health and safety.

.

The committee

Binny Golf Club