When Will Golf Courses In The UK Re-Open?

Golf courses in the UK have now been closed for over six weeks, but are they on the verge of re-opening?

When Will Golf Courses In The UK Re-Open?

Golf courses in the UK have been closed for over six weeks due to the Coronavirus lockdown but there is some hope that they may be re-opening fairly soon.

That's because Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that sports can continue this Wednesday 13th May.

"From this Wednesday, we want to encourage people to take more and even unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise," the Prime Minister said on Sunday evening.

"You can sit in the sun in your local park, you can drive to other destinations, you can even play sports but only with members of your own household."

Boris Johnson also said that journeys to exercise are now allowed, which previously ruled out courses opening due to journeys that were not for food, medicine or key work being deemed unnecessary.

Related: Boris Johnson opens door for golf in the UK to return this week

England Golf said that it has ackowledged Boris Johnson's statement.

Most of the USA's golf courses are currently open and many of Europe's are also now open too.

The Republic of Ireland's courses are due to re-open for members living within 5km on the 18th May.

The chairman of the UK Parliament’s All-Party Group for Golf recently said that golf “can, and should, return quickly."

The British and International Greenkeepers Assocation (BIGGA), which has been liaising with golf's stakeholders throughout the lockdown, says it is planning for two different eventualities.

One of them is that golf courses "may receive permission to open at very short notice, perhaps even overnight."

Another is that courses will be given one or two weeks notice to re-open.

Related: R&A reveals how golf will be played post-lockdown

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