Scottish golf club secretary FURIOUS with Nicola Sturgeon
"She has pulled the rug from beneath us," club secretary tells The Scotsman.
A golf club secretary in Scotland is furious with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon after it was announced that a number of golf clubs will be forced to close their clubhouses for two weeks as of today, due to the new COVID-19 restrictions.
Speaking to The Scotsman, Gordon Simpson, managing secretary at Gullane Golf Club, said that Sturgeon is "pulling the rug beneath us" after inforcing new restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Gullane Golf Club has two clubhouses, one for members and one for visitors, which will both have to close at 6pm on Friday night due to the latest hospitality restrictions being applied in the Lothians, as well as other areas of the country; Glasgow, Ayrshire and Arran and the Forth Valley.
"The announcement has had a huge impact on our business as we will be closing our clubhouses again from today at 6.00pm," he told The Scotsman.
"It is not only the food and beverage that we are losing out on, it is the golf as well due to people cancelling packages as the restrictions in hospitality are just so severe.
"As a club, we have spent £1,000’s complying with all of the Government guidance with regards to PPE, changes in layouts, screens for bars etc.
"Just as we were getting our business growing once again, she has pulled the rug from beneath us.
"Whilst the FM announced that she has made £40 million available to help cover costs, that won’t go far given the amount of businesses around the country affected by the latest changes, it is simply not good enough."
Golf clubs in Scotland were hit with an update on Thursday, when Scottish Golf's chief operating officer Karin Sharp confirmed that golf clubs located in the five health board areas singled out by Sturgeon would have to adhere to the new latest hospitality restrictions.
Golf clubhouses in other areas of the country can remain open from 6am to 6pm but cannot sell alcohol during that time, although it can be served outside until 10pm.
“The changes announced vary across different regions of the country and we would encourage all clubs to familiarise themselves with the latest guidance and how it may impact their operations," said Sharp.
“These measures are in place for an initial 16-day period and will be reviewed thereafter by the Scottish Government."
