Welsh Assembly relaxes exercising rule – but seemingly excludes golf from it

May 8, 2020

The Welsh Assembly has stated that from Monday, May 11, a rule on exercising will be relaxed, but the wording of it suggests that golf courses will not be allowed to reopen.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said, from Monday, “people to be allowed to go outside to exercise more than once a day – but that exercise must begin and end at home and must not include travel.”

The current rule is that people in the UK are only allowed to leave their home to exercise for a maximum of once a day.

It was thought that if this rule is relaxed then golf courses could reopen, but the addition of ‘exercise must begin and end at home and must not include travel’ suggests golf courses will not be allowed to reopen on May 11.

Wales will remain in lockdown for another three weeks, he added, to avoid “a return of the virus”. The rules in place have “helped us all to save lives” and that if they were to change, Wales would see hospital admissions soar, he stated.

He said that he believes that the R number (the rate of infection) in Wales, was at 0.8.

He also stated that garden centres can open from Monday as long as they adhere to social distancing guidelines and that local authorities will begin planning how to safely reopen libraries and tips.

Drakeford went on to say that vulnerable people must continue to shield and over 70s should continue to take extra care.

His commitment to the lockdown measures echoes those of the Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, who said on Thursday that the restrictions would continue to be in place after Monday.

His comments also chime with a report today that golf courses in the UK will not reopen until the ‘end of May’.

The first minister said he also believed Boris Johnson’s lockdown announcement for England on Sunday will be “broadly” similar to Wales’.

Shortly after the announcement was made in Wales, Scottish Golf confirmed that nothing has been finalised regarding a date, or any details of potential phasing with Government.

“The recent update provided by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that lockdown restrictions remain in place and the clear public health message is to stay home and save lives. This responsibility sits with each of us and golf is no exception,” it stated.

Joe Fitzpatrick, minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing in Scotland, added: “I recognise the importance of golf to many across the country, and the eagerness to return to the course as soon as possible. However, that can only happen once it is safe to do so – and the focus at present must be the continuation of measures to slow the spread of the virus, protect the NHS and save lives. The Scottish government and sportscotland are working closely with Scottish Golf to ensure the right preparation and risk assessment is undertaken to allow golf to return at the appropriate time.”

Karin Sharp, Scottish Golf, said: “It has been disappointing to hear that some golf clubs in Scotland have communicated to members their intent to re-open their golf course ahead of restrictions being lifted. We urge all member clubs to continue to follow the Scottish government advice, that continues to have the best interest of the public at heart. Golf is a sport where integrity and rules sit at the very heart of the game and we ask all golfers to respect the position of Scottish government and show patience at a time when the virus continues to have a devastating impact on society. I appreciate the frustrations and desire to play golf as soon as possible, but I urge you to continue following government guidelines and save lives.”

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Comments

11 responses to “Welsh Assembly relaxes exercising rule – but seemingly excludes golf from it”

May 11, 2020

glammr

So i leave Wales to play golf if England then come back home with the virus ! stupid

Reply
1. May 18, 2020
  
  Pritch
  
  I have tried to canvass the Welsh Assembly via various methods to argue about the distrust of golfers. We in Wales are supposed to play in singles only, with 10 minutes between start times which are to be pre booked online.
  Compare that ridiculous demand to the battle to stay safe whilst shopping and there’s no contest.
  The Golf Union of Wales, who incidentally we all pay for in our fees, must pressurise the Powers that be to be reasonable.
  
  Reply
May 9, 2020

Jo

It is not a question of whether it can be safe to play golf – I think most golfers would agree that it can be. The Government is more concerned about the example that allowing golfers to play would have on the population at large. Members of the public would say that if golfers are allowed to play, why can’t I go to the park/beach and spend several hours sunbathing?

Reply
1. May 16, 2020
  
  Steve
  
  Am from Scotland st Andrew and I been watching people out walking on the golf course to get their daily exercises what’s the difference someone playing golf for there daily exercise?
  
  Reply
May 9, 2020

casper

Points very well put. I think you should be the one making representations to Government to make the case for the club golfer. Those currently doing this appear to be failing. Perhaps they are rolling over too easily and not putting forward compelling enough arguments. As we know, golf is pretty much social distancing by default and is played by intelligent, disciplined people and I think politicians need to be persuaded most of the risk associated with this virus is already mitigated by our normal course etiquette.

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May 9, 2020

Cambrian Golfer

The National Golf Bodies need to improve their communications with clubs and golfer, and that it is a two way thing. Just like golf clubs need to be reminded that they are accountable to their members, the National bodies need to remember it works for their members too.

The cautious, “golf can’t start until it is safe” line may not be helpful. In terms of direct risk of spreading the virus, we can be pretty sure golf was safe, is safe and will be safe. The problem with the golf union line is that it could put the sport in a difficult position when it re-opens- since on whatever date it is, the science will not have changed. The line needs to change to something closer to golf is safe.

There are no laws in Wales, or as far as I can gather elsewhere in the UK that require golf courses to close. The industry has closed voluntarily, and affiliated clubs have done so based on the the Golf Unions’ statement that golf must stop. It is worth pointing out that unaffiliated clubs and courses have no relationship with any golf Union, so their decision making is very likely to be made without any reference to them.

So if like many other businesses golf courses have closed voluntarily, we need to explore the question, why? If there is negligible virus transmission risk, the reason cannot be the direct health issue, this leaves us with two rational reasons.

1. There is no point opening if many people can’t legally travel to a course. 2. To help maintain social discipline required to maintain obedience to the broader Coronavirus Rules amongst members of the public who may not appreciate that golf courses can in fact open legally, who when they see golfers may to start doing what they normally do that is now actually banned that does carry a virus transmission risk.

So exploring issue, 1, the golfer has to consider what “reasonable excuse” they have for not staying home if they go to the golf course. Indeed from Monday an individual going to garden centre needs to consider the same question. Let’s think about the Garden centre. A self employed gardener going to a garden centre clearly has a “reasonable excuse” because purchasing items from a garden centre is undertaking work that they cannot do from home. A member of the public is only allowed to go to shop to purchase “essential” items. Much of what is available in a Garden Centre is unlikely to be “essential” in my view, so it remains difficult in my mind to see how large numbers of members of the public can go to a garden centre.

So we need to watch developments at garden centres and DIY stores, (that are already open) closely. If large numbers of the public attend garden centres and the Police leave them unmolested then, people will conclude the law is broadly speaking liberal. In short if large volumes of goods are sold directly to the public, then obviously the range of “supplies…. for the essential upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household,” is very wide.

Well why does this matter to golf? If the part of the law on what goods are essential is wide then it means another part of the same legislation is liberal which allows us to leave home “to take exercise, no more than once a day, either alone or with other members of the household”. It suggests that playing golf in a four ball with 3 other people not in my household provided we keep robust social distancing, for the purpose of the legislation I am in fact alone. Similarly I need not be troubled by there being alternative opportunities for exercise near my home, provided that I am not travelling too far to get to the golf course.

Exploring issue 2, the question of golf remaining closed to help maintain social discipline, then again this argument would unravel if we see large volumes of people not following rules. In short that extra social discipline will have broken down, so there will be no point maintaining the sport’s voluntary closure.

At some point golf club members may start taking the view, that their clubs should open, and that they are happy to explain their travel to the course to a Police Officer or Magistrates Court. I hope we are not yet at that point, but the decision to open Garden Centres, without it appears amending the travel restrictions on individuals means these questions are coming. If a local pay and play or unaffiliated course opens then this puts an added pressure on clubs trying to persuade their members to pay their fees to open contrary to the Golf Union opinion that they must not.

Reply
1. May 9, 2020
  
  Andrew Smith
  
  Golf’s hierarchy have failed to lobby successfully whilst garden centres have.
  2 rules have to be relaxed for golf courses to open.
  1) gathering sizes. Promote 2 balls only (unless in same household it could be in 3’s) Current rules are that gatherings are not allowed outside of own household. So gatherings need to be eased to 2. Easing to 3 or 4 from outside household will not be accepted by government (and quite rightly too whilst the pandemic is still flourishing)
  2) travel restrictions. If as Ireland are going to do – 5kms. Most golfers would live further away than that from their course, especially where the most rural courses are situated (and safest with R0 rates of 0.01)
  
  Reply
May 8, 2020

Dave

You stupid politicians are ensuring a lot of golf clubs will be putting up permanent closure signs.

Reply
1. May 12, 2020
  
  Seppy
  
  The messaging is both ambiguous and unhelpful. How can anyone suggest that going to a garden centre is necessary? Let’s face it, you’ll encounter more people in the store at Tesco than you ever will on a golf course, even on a busy day. Golf is a political casualty of this pandemic.
  
  Reply
May 8, 2020

Wittsbandit

How can you even know the infection rate when you are not testing anyone
I am a key worker so I have to go to work with loads of people
Go to the supermarket and virus dodge and then they want to spread the virus in garden centres and libraries
We can play golf safely so I want to know the exact rational why it is not being played

Reply
May 8, 2020

casper

How can politicians be so damn silly? They are effectively saying it is safer to walk around a 500 square metre garden centre than a 500 acre golf course (in one direction) or expose yourself to coughs and sneezes inside a library. If the issue is about travel, their argument doesn’t hold water. It will generally require significant travel for a great many people(either into town or out of town) to visit a garden centre or library. It is a totally bizarre decision but sadly what I have come to expect from politicians.

Reply