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Packed tees and smiles as golf returned
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The ‘course closed’ signs finally came down across the UK last month as the easing of lockdown rules saw clubs able to reopen. We asked a trio of managers how opening day went
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t’s a very different day at work where there are people around,” said Mick Thorpe.“It had been like a ghost town for the last few weeks. It was almost back to the ‘normal’ golf problems.” Even though, as Scarcroft’s general manager pointed out, there was nothing normal about re-opening day at the West Yorkshire club. Thorpe was there early – on site at 6.30am for a day where the tee-sheet was booked solidly for 10-and-a-half hours. When members did arrive, socially distanced, of course, as English clubs got back to business after nearly two months away on Wednesday, May 13, it was like a supermarket queue, with lines and a one-way system as members waited to retrieve their kit from lockers. There was a starter to ensure all the club’s new protocols were adhered to and, even though there wasn’t the buzz of a full clubhouse, there was still plenty of anticipation. “There was a fair bit of planning, on theirs and the club’s behalf, to get it (reopening) done but it was a nice day and they were all chuffed to bits to be getting out there. They were shouting across the car park at each other.”
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That it had proved such a success was not down to mere luck. Thorpe, and many of his fellow Yorkshire region members, had anticipated Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s lockdown announcement and started putting the wheels into motion. “The fact that we knew some sort of announcement was coming on Sunday meant we hedged our bets and covered both bases just in case there was something,” he added.“We almost anticipated we could be dropped in it and say ‘go from Monday’, which we didn’t want. The Yorkshire managers have got a WhatsApp group and it was absolutely manic on Sunday night. Right up until about 10pm, we were all up and exchanging texts and ideas and plans. That came together fantastically well for all of us to help each other a little bit.” Hundreds of miles away at Royal
“There was a fair bit of planning, on theirs and the club’s behalf to get it done but it was a nice day and they were all chuffed.”
Eastbourne, it was a similar scene at first light that greeted general manager Toby Anderson. “I was very pleased to be able to re-open our courses, but not as pleased as the membership, especially after being locked indoors for two months,” he said. Two-balls and extended 10-minute time slots were how members got back into action. “There is signage on the guidelines for safe golf around the clubhouse and leading to the tees and friendly notices for the general public to ask them to follow the public footpaths across the course, as they have become used to free roaming during lockdown when taking their daily exercise. “These signs seemed to work as there were no issues between
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