‘Covid-19 Clip’ introduced so golfers don’t touch the flag

A UK company has developed what it is calling a ‘Covid-19 Clip’ so that golfers do not need to touch the flag when the lockdown period ends and playing the game can resume.

At the end of last year Tacit Golf introduced the ‘Tacit Lifter’ – a tube with a basket attached to it that is fitted over a flagstick, which meant then that golfers didn’t have to put their hands into the cup to retrieve the ball, ensuring damage to the golf hole was prevented.

This was primarily brought in because the Rules of Golf changed in 2019 and allowed for golfers to putt with the flag in the hole.

However, with it looking like golf will be allowed to be played again in the UK soon, but with rules in place such as no touching of the flag, Tacit has added a new dimension to the product, so that golfers can retrieve the ball by positioning their putter under the clip and pulling upwards. This means they do not have to touch the flag – significantly reducing the risk of them catching coronavirus.

In the US, where 49 per cent of golf courses reported they were open by April 19 – a rise from 41 per cent from a week earlier, some golf clubs have introduced a similar product.

For example, Cobblestone Golf Course, located just outside of Atlanta, has reopened, taking tee times and payments online, spacing out tee times and requiring golfers to keep their distance from each other.

The club is also keeping the flagsticks in the cups, replacing normal flags with the American flag as a gesture of patriotism, via a similar product.

For more information on the Tacit Lifter with Covid-19 Clip please email phil.gibson@tacitgolf.com or call 07879 77 55 48