All golf course Covid rules in England can be removed from July 19

New coronavirus guidance from England Golf states that golf clubs, after 16 months, can effectively return to exactly how they were before the pandemic started, from July 19.

The organisation states that ‘all golf course furniture may be returned for normal use, including the removal of flagsticks, standard hole cups, bunker rakes and ball-washers.’

The ‘Play Safe, Stay Safe – a framework for playing golf‘ guidance adds that practice areas, including driving ranges, practice nets and indoor facilities, may also operate without any restrictions on the number of users from that date.

In addition, ‘pro shops, changing facilities and other indoor areas may revert to pre-pandemic operations’ and ‘there are no restrictions on the golf course with regards to course furniture, sharing equipment, touching golf balls or the size of groups, beyond those set by the club.’

For hospitality areas, clubhouses may revert to pre-pandemic operations, as can scoring for handicap functions, including the registration process, handling and submitting of scorecards, and administration. Coronavirus-related changes to the rules of golf and all handicapping provisions will also be removed.

In fact, the only changes golfers are likely to see from July 19, compared with July 2019, for example, is that England Golf recommends hand sanitiser stations remain on the course and that clubs keep a form of their tee booking system in place.