STAY SAFE PLAY SAFE GOLF PROCEDURES AND RULES

March 29th 2021

General principles:

• Members must not visit the Club if they have any symptoms of Coronavirus or have been in contact with anyone with the virus within the past 14 days. Do not take risks that might endanger the health of others or necessitate us closing the Club.

• It is the individual's responsibility to observe Social Distancing and Covid related rules at all times, both on and off the course. Any breach of these rules which constitutes a contravention of Rule 54 will be dealt with under the Club's disciplinary process. All areas of the Club's premises are subject to the laws relating to Covid 19 including the car park, the changing rooms and the course. Please respect the signage that has been put in place to assist you.

• Follow the directional signage at the top of the car park path (on arrival) and by the path near the Proshop (on departure) to avoid close contact with others travelling in the opposite direction on the path.

• In order to have the best control of your own hygiene, we strongly advise that you use your own toilet prior to visiting the club. Please also bring your own supplies, e.g., hand sanitiser, wipes, gloves etc.

• Members are able to use the trolley stores and changing rooms at present but given the heightened state of infection risk Members may wish to keep their golf equipment at home at this time.

• Players should use the hand sanitisers provided at various points (outside clubhouse, pro shop and 18th pathway) at every opportunity and if using the toilets opposite the office or in the changing rooms they should wash hands thoroughly with soap and water.

• No guests or visitors are allowed until further notice

• When entering the Pro Shop, You MUST wear your face mask and adopt a one in – one out approach, with a maximum of 2 people at any one time inside the shop.

Facilities:

• Changing rooms are currently open for locker access and toilet facilities only. Face masks must be worn at all times when inside the Clubhouse. Please follow the directional signage and minimise your time inside the changing rooms. Absolutely no congregating / loitering. Any gathering outside of the current Covid rules will be considered to be a breach of Rule 54 and dealt with as a disciplinary matter

• Trolley stores are open and face masks must be worn when entering and leaving them.

• Clubhouse toilets are available opposite the office and are to be used at all times on a 1 in 1 out basis. On-course toilets are currently open. Face masks must be worn at all times when visiting the toilets including those on-course.

• Clubhouse catering facilities are currently suspended, and the lounge / bar area is closed.

• The on-course water fountains are disabled.  Players should bring their own drinks or visit the Pro Shop.

• The Pro Shop will be open from 30 minutes before the first tee time until 1600 and will not be accepting cash at this time so please use a contactless card.

• The Half-way hut is open for TAKEAWAY SERVICE ONLY during the Covid restrictions. Pick up and move on and socially distance with partners and staff. Payment can only be made by contactless card. Do not offer cash payment. Opening hours are: Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 7.45am – 4.00pm. Sunday 7.45am to 12.00. No more than 1 group must be within 2 metres of the halfway hut at any time, and Members are to collect food and drinks and move on without delay. The facility is for use as a pass thru service only, and not as an after-round facility and any breach of this rule will be dealt with as a contravention of Rule 54 and be subject to disciplinary processes

Golf arrangements:

• Full tee booking system in place. Tee times will be 8-minute intervals until further notice. Maximum of 4 players

• Play is strictly not permitted outside of the times on the booking sheet.

• When you use the booking system you are committing to the Code of Conduct that you confirm whenever you make a booking.

• All bookings must be made online or via the Pro Shop and tee times will be available in conjunction with sunrise and sunset times with the final tee time being 10 minutes before sunset, and the current times available are always shown on the booking system.

• A single booking can be made from 7.30pm on Sunday for all of the week ahead (Monday to Sunday), and up to a further 2 bookings again from Monday at 7.30pm. Further bookings can also be made on the day that you are playing and do not count in your 3-booking allowance. Please be aware that Twilight rounds booked within 2 hours of sunset (under Future Competitions) may be booked at any time after 7.30pm on the Sunday and these do not count in your number of rounds booked.

• Members are not to book slots for others unless they know who will be playing in their group, this is not space reservation facility. Any spaces showing "Anonymous" will cleared by administrators.

• Members guests are not allowed at this time.

• If you subsequently cannot play, please cancel immediately as spaces are very limited.  No-shows are unacceptable, except in extreme cases.

• Any no show in a Competition, without prior notification, will be subject to a 3 competition ban unless there are unavoidable circumstances. Pressure for spaces in competitions means that a no show prevents another Member or Members from taking part. A no show in non-competition time will result in a one-week suspension unless there are unavoidable circumstances.

• Any intentional breach of these rules and procedures will be dealt with as a disciplinary matter under Rule 54. As examples; no shows, exceeding the booked number of players in a group, misuse of the booking system functionality by reserving a space for another Member who has reached their bookings limit by temporary use of another Member's name who you know will not be playing, by playing without a booked tee time, and by failure to cancel out any booking where you are substituted or cannot play etc. The Club must keep accurate records of who played when and at what time should it ever be necessary to track and trace through use of the start sheet.

• Please arrive at the Club a maximum of 25 - 30 minutes prior to tee time, and stick to the following guidelines, avoiding contact with others whilst moving to the following positions.  20 minutes before teeing off - the practice putting green, 10 minutes before play - at the practice nets level.  Move to the 1st tee when the group ahead has passed the ladies teeing area. Do not congregate anywhere outside of these time guidelines please. Stay safely in your car until 25 minutes before your tee time (unless needing to use facilities before play).

• Only 1 group is permitted to use the upper practice green before play i.e., the group third in the queue. It is not there for general practice until after the last tee time on the booking system on the day.

• Do not turn up on-spec in the hope of playing golf. No reservation equals NO GOLF. Golf may only be played during the times on the booking’s timesheet. Play after the final tee time slot is not permitted

• Do not tee off before your allotted tee time in order to set the social distancing gap, then maintain that distancing gap whilst on the course regardless of the number in your group. If it is clear that your group is not keeping pace with the group in front and you are causing the group behind to wait on an ongoing basis then please call them through, although this should be the exception and not the rule hopefully, given the 8-minute gap.

• Single use buggies are available if required on medical grounds. Same household golfers may share a buggy as long as one of the users has medical grounds. The buggies will have been pre-sanitised.

• Scorecards are available inside and outside the Pro Shop, and to avoid a touch point Members may print off their own at home (a PDF can be found on the website). 

• The lower putting green may be used by golfers wishing to practice only, and not by those waiting to tee off. Two people maximum at any one time.

• Only one group of players are to use the practice nets at a time, i.e., the next group on the 1st tee. Any spare nets are NOT available to Members who are not playing in that group.

• Practice ground – This is open for a maximum of 2 Members at a time and can only be used if booked via the Pro Shop.

On the course:

• Whilst on the course, do not touch the flags, pick up any other tees or golf balls. Putts to be holed out in shallow cup (the ball must drop)

• Preferred lies within one club length in bunkers

• Smooth the sand after playing, with your feet / club whilst rakes are absent.

• Preferred lies within 6 inches on the fairways.

• If your group loses more than 1 complete hole on the group ahead and is clearly holding up the group behind you on an ongoing basis, then you should call them through and stand aside whilst they do so.

• No hugs, kisses, handshakes, fist or elbow bumps please.

• On completion of your round please take care to observe social distancing as you navigate around the Club.

And finally:

• Copies of this document are available from the Pro Shop and on the website.

• Enjoy your golf and please respect and distance yourself from others at all times - HANDS FACE SPACE.