Golf Australia has provided the following information on how clubs should best manage play during the current environment:

1. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MEASURES CURRENTLY BEING USED TO MANAGE SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS WHEN PLAYING GOLF?

If your state/territory/local government is currently permitting the play of golf at your facility, and if you make the decision to keep your golf course open, we encourage you to consider every available measure to ensure social distancing is achieved at all times.

We are all in this together and we all have a responsibility, so please do what you can to avoid your facility being the cause of golf being shut down in your area (or the cause of a delay in people again being permitted to play golf in your area).

When you are at a golf facility, there is never a need for you to be any closer than 1.5 metres from another person. And remember that each facility also has the option to pursue even greater distancing if you feel this would help to address any concerns of your members – golf is a sport that can comfortably accommodate this.

Here are some measures being used at various Australian golf facilities to achieve effective social distancing. These measures are helping facilities to avoid congregation in the following areas: registration and score submission points, practice areas, starting tees, and anywhere out on the golf course.

(NOTE: In addition to considering the following measures, it is very important for you to read the section of www.golf.org.au/covid-19 that is specific to your State/Territory.)

  1. Limit (or prohibit) access to practice putting greens and other practice areas.

  2. Only permit play by people who have pre-booked a starting time.

  3. Require players to remain in (or next to) their cars until close to their starting time – eg 10 minutes prior. Some clubs (with available resources) are going to the extent of stationing a staff member (or volunteer) with a microphone/radio in the car park to manage these requirements.

  4. Use 1-tee starts only.

  5. Play in groups of 2 unless your state/territory guidelines allow for larger groups.

  6. Structure the intervals between starting times to ensure there is no congregation.

  7. Players to leave the facility immediately after completing their round. No presentations at the conclusion of play.

  8. Restrict the use of motorised golf carts to one person only. (Government health regulations in certain areas may permit cart sharing by some people living under the same roof. However, when you are making your policy decisions on such cart sharing you should consider the following factors: whether seeing this in practice might cause some members to be confused/frustrated about what your cart policy is, whether it will be challenging for officials to monitor, whether it could lead to unwanted police and/or media attention (including on social media).)

  9. Avoid conducting ‘competitive’ competitions such as Board events or monthly medals. In normal times in Australia, most handicapped Stableford ‘competitions’ are essentially a social experience – stick to this type of event in these unusual times. Or try conducting a Par event – they are more relaxed, and round times are less than for Stableford.

  10. Offer/require registration via electronic communication (not just for time sheet bookings but also for competition entry and registration – although see point 9 above).

    • For example, via the internet, text message, email, or phone call.

    • This option has also been communicated to all American clubs by the United States Golf Association.

    • It may also be an option for your club to consider, depending on its circumstances and if such a policy would be helpful, to make any registration payments non-contact (where applicable for time sheet bookings and/or for competition entry). For example, by charging to the golfer’s club account, or charging to a securely pre-stored credit card at the time of registration (where registration is via the internet, text message, email, or phone call).

    • As a result, staff/volunteers may not even need to be at the facility to manage the handicapping of pre-nominated social scores or of casual competitions (see point 9 above), or to perform some other golf shop functions.

    • Note: Some of these options are standard operating procedure for many clubs. They may hold unusual value in the current environment for clubs that would not ordinarily use them.

  11. Offer/require score submission via electronic communication.

    • For example, via app, email, phone call or MMS (some clubs are encouraging players to take a photo of their scorecard and email or MMS it to the club).

    • This option has also been communicated to all American clubs by the United States Golf Association.

    • As a result, staff/volunteers may not need to be at the facility to manage the handicapping of pre-nominated social scores, or of casual competitions (see point 9 above).

    • Note: Electronic score submission may be especially attractive to smaller regional clubs. However, we believe some larger clubs are also using some of these options to help to manage various staff considerations – the app element is of particular interest to many clubs.

  12. Some small clubs are opening their courses for very restricted periods only (for example, a narrow window of starting times once or twice each week). By doing this, the officials at these clubs are finding it more manageable to strictly monitor compliance with all COVID-19 related instructions throughout the period when players are on club premises.

Visit Golf Australia’s COVID-19 Resource Centre

2. TEMPORARY MODIFICATIONS TO THE RULES OF GOLF (announced on 19/3/2020)

On 19/3/2020, the R&A announced a series of temporary measures to combat the hygiene implications associated with some of the requirements of the Rules of Golf. These temporary measures allow the Rules of Golf, and Model Local Rules, to be modified as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Various examples are described below. When considering these new options, clubs should be mindful of the following:

  • In order to take advantage of the new Local Rule options, your club will need to announce which options it is bringing into effect for play at your facility – these options do not automatically come into effect at your facility as a result of the R&A announcement.

  • Scores returned from competitions with any of the new Local Rules in effect must be processed through GOLF Link unless your club has been instructed otherwise by Golf Australia or your State Association.

  • These Local Rule options are temporary and are related to COVID-19 concerns. They will be available to clubs until Golf Australia advises otherwise.

  • Please email Golf Australia at rules&[email protected] if you have a query about any of the below Local Rule options, or if there are any other Local Rules you believe should be introduced at your club to manage concerns around COVID-19.

EXAMPLES OF NEW LOCAL RULE OPTIONS Scoring in Stroke Play, Stableford, Par, and Maximum Score

In view of concerns about handling and exchanging scorecards, on a temporary basis, Committees MAY CHOOSE to allow methods of scoring in stroke play, Stableford, Par, and Maximum Score that do not strictly comply with Rule 3.3b, or do not comply with the normal methods used under Rule 3.3b. For example:

  1. Players may enter their own hole scores on the scorecard (it is not necessary for a marker to do it).

  2. It is not necessary to have a marker physically certify the player’s hole scores, but some form of verbal certification should take place.

  3. It is not necessary to physically return a scorecard to the Committee provided the Committee can accept the scores in another way.

Flagsticks Committees MAY CHOOSE to adopt the following policies:

  1. Requiring players to leave the flagstick in the hole at all times. It is a matter for the Committee to decide whether it establishes this policy by Local Rule and provides a penalty for a breach of the Local Rule.

  2. Not have flagsticks at all.

Hole Committees MAY CHOOSE to adopt the following policies:

  1. Have course staff position the hole liner at a very shallow level so that a ball can easily be extracted without touching the sides. A ball at rest in the hole will be considered to be holed even if it is not entirely below the level of the hole. [Extra GA guidance added in April 2020: Rather than positioning the hole liner at a shallow level, many clubs are achieving the same outcome of a shallow hole by positioning small pool noodles at the bottom of the flagstick. Whether a pool noodle is used, or the hole liner is set at a very shallow level, it has become common for a player’s ball to bounce out of the hole when it would normally have come to rest in the bottom of the cup. To cater for this, clubs may introduce a local rule treating a ball as holed if it hits the pool noodle or the hole liner, regardless of whether it comes to rest in the hole.]

  2. Whilst discouraged, it would also be permissible for course staff to position the hole liner upside down in the hole so that a part of the liner is above the surface of the hole. The ball would be considered to be holed if it hits the liner (we emphasise that whilst this second option is permissible, it should only be pursued as a last resort).

Bunkers If rakes have been removed from the course, or if the Committee has requested that rakes not be used, it is recognised that bunkers may not be smoothed as effectively as when rakes are on the course. But it is recommended that no modification be made to the Rules of Golf in such circumstances, and that players be requested to smooth bunkers using their feet or a club. However, if this guidance to your members does not prove to be effective, Committees MAY CHOOSE to introduce either of the following Local Rule options:

  1. Treat all bunkers as ground under repair and in the general area, or

  2. Allow preferred lies in bunkers.

3. TEMPORARY MEASURES FOR SAND GREEN GOLF

In March, Golf Australia announced temporary measures designed to enable clubs to remove any hygiene implications related to complying with the Rules of Golf (see Section 2 above for the details of the announcement). These measures allow the Rules of Golf, and Model Local Rules, to be modified as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Many of these options have now been widely adopted by Australian clubs. This announcement prompted some sand green clubs to reach out to Golf Australia and State Associations on some of the contact-management implications of playing sand-green golf. Guidance has been sought, for example, on the hygienic use by a person of a smoother/scraper, and on the normal practice by players of regularly removing sand from the hole. Here are some measures currently being used at some sand green facilities. We encourage each club to choose the measures that will best fit their own local circumstances and member preferences. Flagsticks An option is to remove flagsticks from all holes as most sand greens are very small with the hole positioned in the centre (or the players are locals who know where the hole is). (When flagsticks have been removed permanently from holes by a club, consider securing a flagstick directly behind the middle of each green so players can easily get a distance on a range finder.)

Making it easier to remove the ball from the hole without touching the sides

  1. Partially fill each hole with sand to reduce its depth. When a hole does need to be emptied, this action should be performed with a gloved hand (or with a towel wrapped around the fingers). Or;

  2. Alternatively, place a towel/rag in the hole (just below the level of the lip) to reduce its depth. When extracting sand, you may also need to remove and then reposition the rag. The rag should be handled with a gloved hand. A ball at rest in the hole will be considered to be holed even if it is not entirely below the level of the hole.

Removing sand from the hole

  1. Place a towel/rag in the hole when smoothing (up to the level of the lip) to prevent sand from entering during the smoothing process. Or;

  2. When a hole does need to be emptied, this action should be performed with a gloved hand (or with a towel wrapped around the fingers).

Removing the need for players to come in direct contact with the smoother/scraper

  1. Each group appoint one player to perform all smoothing requirements for that group. Use a towel/glove when operating a smoother/scraper supplied at each hole by the club. Or;

  2. If a suitable item can be obtained, one person in each group be tasked with carrying a cheap and lightweight item to be used to smooth instead of a heavy smoother/scraper (provided the nature of the surface will be responsive to something light). Only that person to use this device – no other person in the group touch this device throughout the round. Or;

  3. Position the hole liner upside down in the hole so that a part of the liner is above the surface of the hole. The ball would be considered to be holed if it hits the liner (we emphasise that whilst this option is permissible, it should only be pursued as a last resort).

  4. Some clubs may have very few players and may even be able to remove the smoother/scraper from the course altogether and may use their foot or putter to smooth imperfections in their line. This would also be encouraged if practical at your club.

Please email Golf Australia at rules&[email protected] if you have any queries on any Rules of Golf or competition management issue.