Golf club pros split over courses remaining shut in Scotland

First minister gets backing, but others feel sport should be back on

Golf is back across much of Britain. Pic: Getty

Club professionals on opposite sides of the Firth of Forth are split over Scottish courses having to wait to reopen as venues return to business elsewhere in the UK and Ireland.

The 550-odd courses in the Home of Golf have been closed since coronavirus lockdown guidelines were introduced on March 23, with June 1 seeming the likely date for reopening.

The next official review of the lockdown rules in Scotland is not until May 28, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying some limited outdoor sports activities could be allowed “within a few days of that”.

Courses reopened in England last Wednesday while venues in Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have followed suit this week. That leaves Scotland as possibly the only country in the world where courses remain closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Richard Brian, the pro at Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society in Edinburgh, is “champing at the bit” to get back to work, but believes the Scottish Government’s cautious approach to a lockdown exit should be respected.

“I love golf, it’s been a huge part of my life since around the age of eight, so I’m keen to get back playing, but there are two things about this,” he said.

“Firstly, people need to realise that golf isn’t being specifically targeted in some way! Golf is part of the whole sporting and social decision to remain restricted.

“I do understand frustrations when seeing people out running and walking their dogs, but these are people who are not under the regulatory responsibility and liability of the club.

“Secondly, this is still a serious virus with mortal implications. I can’t wait to get back, and await respectfully (the sooner the better) the day I can!”

Murrayfield pro Jonnie Cliff echoed that view, saying: “As a golfer and golf industry worker, of course, we want to get back to golf, but nobody wants to jump the gun and put the members and staff at a club at risk.

“If another week or two is going to save lives, not just in golf but across all industries, then no one can argue with that.

“I know the PGA, R&A, SGL and sportscotland have all been working hard trying to get clarity and a road map to open golf and other sports.

“Hopefully in another week we will know more about this. But until we have some way of controlling the spread of the virus, golf club life with the great social scene that revolves around it will be somewhat different for the foreseeable future.”

But, over on the other side of the Firth of Forth, Aberdour pro Allan Knox believes Scottish courses should now be reopening and falling in line with venues in England, Ireland and Wales.

“The biggest frustration at the moment is the not knowing when Scottish golf courses will be given the green light to reopen,” he said. “With the rest of the UK courses now open, I feel its time for Scotland to follow suit. Golf with the correct restrictions can be a safe place to get your daily exercise. Golf is an institution in Scotland and plays a huge part in people’s daily lives. The worry is the longer this goes on more clubs are going to be in a detrimental financial position.

“The hope is as soon as we are able to start again the buzz for golf will be rejuvenated with even more people being interested in the sport.”