Can I play golf under the UK's new coronavirus Tier 1, 2 and 3 restrictions
"Am I still able to play golf if I'm in a Tier 2 lockdown area?"
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has outlined a number of new lockdown Tier 1, 2 and 3 restrictions across the country, but you are probably wondering what does it mean for us golfers?
"Am I still able to play golf if I'm in a Tier 2 lockdown area?" a GolfMagic reader wrote to us this afternoon. Well, thankfully the good news is yes, you can continue to play golf outdoors no matter whether you are living in Tier 1 (medium risk), Tier 2 (high risk) and Tier 3 (very high risk).
Face masks, however, must be worn at all times when in the pro shop and when entering the clubhouse. Golf clubs in the UK have a legal obligation to be able to collect information from its visitors under 'Track and Trace', and they keep hold of this information for up to a period of three weeks.
The Liverpool region is currently the only area in Tier 3 right now, so while golf is still permitted, it is advised by the government that nobody travels to and from a Tier 3 region. On that evidence, it is not recommended that you choose to go and play golf in this region if you are not local to the area.
In the "very high risk" areas, households and bubbles cannot mix inside or outside, and the 'Rule of Six' very much remains applicable across all Tiers. Pubs and bars must also close under a Tier 3 restriction, unless they serve main meals. You must avoid overnight stays in another part of the UK from a Tier 3 region, and avoid travelling outside of the local area.
A host of regions have been included in Tier 2 of the latest COVID restrictions in the UK, of which London and Elmbridge are now two of them. Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Warrington, Derbyshire, Lancashire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North East, Tees Valley, West Midlands, Leicester and Nottingham are also on the current list for Tier 2.
Under Tier 2 "high risk" restrictions, you must reduce the number of your journeys where possible and you must not mix with other households or bubbles indoors.
So under these restrictions, it is not being advised that you sit and have food or drinks in the golf clubhouse if you do not fit that criteria. We therefore recommend you go and play golf, and then head home.
The new rules mean you can only go on holiday with your own household, but are not allowed to mix with other people - so if you have any golf holidays abroad planned then you may want to consider other options.
For everyone else in Tier 1 "medium risk", a 10pm curfew remains on bars and restaurants, and all businesses and venues not shut by current law can continue to operate.
In Scotland, the government has decided to close clubhouses in the Lothians, Glasgow, Ayrshire and Arran and the Forth Valley as a result of the increase in COVID-19 cases, and it has caused outrage with one golf club managing secretary - CLICK HERE TO READ
