Golf Courses In Northern Ireland To Open

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published 19 May 2020

Courses in England, Wales, the Republic of Ireland and now Northern Ireland have all been allowed to re-open

Golf Courses In Northern Ireland To Open

Golf courses in Northern Ireland will join England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland in re-opening.

Northern Ireland's Executive announced new Covid-19 guidelines and allowing golf courses to re-open was included in that.

The Golfing Union of Ireland confirmed that courses can open on Wednesday 20th May, after announcing protocol at the weekend on how golf will be played post-lockdown.

Phase 1 of the protocol, which begins Wednesday 20th May, allows golfers to play in three-balls as long as tee times are spaced out by 14 minutes.

If tee times are 10 minutes apart, golfers can only play in singles, and two-balls are allowed at intervals of 12 minutes.

Measures seen elsewhere in the United Kingdom and Ireland will be in place where flagsticks can't be touched, holes must be filled so balls don't fully go below the surface and rakes must be removed from bunkers.

Anyone showing Covid-19 symptoms must stay away and golfers must adhere to social distancing guidelines at all times.

Bookings must be made online or via phone, clubhouses will remain closed and only social golf is allowed.

There are also no travel restrictions in place, unlike the Republic of Ireland where members are only permitted to drive 5km to their club.

View the full guidelines for golf in Northern Ireland from the Golfing Union of Ireland - https://www.golfnet.ie/News%20Listing%20Assets/NI_Protocol.pdf

Courses in Wales and the Republic of Ireland opened on Monday 18th May, with England's courses the first to re-open on Wednesday 13th May.

Scotland's courses remain closed as things stand, although there is hope that they will re-open after the next lockdown update on 28th May.

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Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV

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