GUI & ILGU Recommend Golf Clubs & Facilities To Close

Urgent response requires all golf clubs, courses and facilities to close

Following the recent announcements by the UK and Irish Governments in relation to the coronavirus pandemic, the GUI and ILGU recommend that all golf clubs, practice facilities and courses across the island close with immediate effect until April 19th 2020.

While golf is an outdoor sport that allows players to exercise in the fresh air, the message is clear. People must stay at home to help to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The Unions recognise the need clubs may have for business support at this time. We will monitor options available and engage with the relevant sporting bodies in due course to make representations for our member clubs.

We know that these decisions are difficult ones to make, but right now, it is our shared responsibility to prioritise the health of our local communities by working together to follow the respective Government guidelines. In doing so, this will ensure that we get the opportunity to play the game that we all love as soon as it is safe to do so.

For security and essential maintenance purposes, greenkeeping staff can still attend work. All work must be carried out in strict accordance with government guidelines on physical (social) distancing. Clubs should divide course staff into two teams where possible and if one becomes unavailable, the other team will still be okay to work.

You will appreciate that this is a very fluid situation with new developments almost daily. We will continue to liaise with the appropriate authorities, and will ensure that our clubs are kept informed as to recommended best practice at all times.

HSE: http://www.hse.ie or PHANI: https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/

Due to the coronavirus we will be postponing the spring league until later in the year.

We will still have a competition on Sunday while adhering to social distancing protocols. We will also introduce measures to make competition entry and entering of scores safer for everyone. Full details will be sent out later this week.

We will also decide format (probably a single stableford competition) and number of holes later in the week. The timesheet that is currently on masterscoreboard for the Spring League will be used for Sundays competition and the draw will be made Friday night as usual for partners.

On Sunday we had a 12 Hole scramble and the winners were John White and Jerry Kelliher with 31 nett.

Next Sunday is the Captains Drive in at 11am. The Drive in will be followed by a mixed scramble. Please have you name in for the draw for the scramble by 10.30am.

The Spring League will begin on Sunday March 22nd. Teams of 5 players will be selected by way of a draw. Players will be seeded as per their handicap for the draw.

There will be 5 Single Stableford qualifying rounds, from March 22nd to April 19th, with the top 3 scores from 5 counting each Sunday. The top 4 teams will qualify for the final on April 26th. Scores will be reset for the final and the format will be the same as the qualifying rounds except that 4 out of the 5 scores will count for the final.

You can enter your name for the Spring League on masterscoreboard. The draw for teams will take place on March 18th. Anyone who does not want to play in the Spring League can still play in the Single Stableford competition each Sunday.

The Spring League is kindly sponsored by Timothy Kenny.