Aspects

Actions

Car park

Arrival – please try to arrive no more than 10 mins prior to your tee time to avoid too much waiting.

Only leave or re-enter your car if adjacent cars are unattended – maintain social distancing

On-line tee time booking up to 15 days in advance for members and eight days for visitors, tee times at 10 min intervals

Members and visitors must book tee times in advance. Where a member has initially booked a guest to play in the member’s group (Guest of Member on the tee sheet) the guest’s actual name will be substituted by Staff for the generic term when the Member checks in at the Clubhouse-see below. This is to aid traceability in the future.

Clubhouse opening times

08.30 -18.00 Monday – Saturday

08.00 -18.00 Sunday.

The main lounge continues to operate as an extended corridor, where individuals will enter through the main front door, and exit through the fire exit to minimise any unnecessary interactions and maintain social distancing. Please use this one way system to visit the locker rooms and toilets. Golfers will have access to the bar area, by the small front portion where a screen is in place to allow the completion of any outstanding payments. At this stage, Staff will also request the names of any guests so guest names are added to the daily tee sheet, to aid traceability in the future.

Bar Service

From Saturday 4^th July 2020 the bar will open for the service of drinks and packaged snacks.

To comply with the 1 metre+ social distancing requirement, it has been calculated that the right hand upper level will accommodate 16 people and the lower level 16 people all sat at tables.

The area in front of the bar will remain off limits to members and visitors. It will be used as a service area for staff providing score recording and table service.

Table service will also be provided to tables on the outside decking in appropriate weather.

Please note that bar service is only open to golfers who have just completed their round.

To give all golfers the chance to have a drink, you are asked to vacate the premises on finishing your drinks or after an hour. This is to help alleviate any problems caused by the reduced capacity of the lounge under the social distancing guidelines.

Drinks should be ordered and paid for at the bar and the group must move to a table where staff will bring their order.

NO STANDING ALLOWED

Tables will be cleared and wiped by staff once vacated.

There will be a further announcement about catering soon but for the initial stage catering will be for pre-booked visiting parties only on the right hand upper level of the lounge.

Locker rooms

Four persons maximum. Given the extra usage, please take extra care to maintain social distancing.

Hand sanitisers are available for use at main entrance and inside the lobby.

For additional safety, where possible, members are advised to clear lockers for the time-being.

Members are asked to use their own sanitisers as necessary.

Toilets

One in one out – maintain social distancing. 

On the course:

Putting green

Ball washers and rubbish bins

No bunker rakes

Flagsticks

Lost balls

Completion of round

Practice Range

Maximum of 2 golfers on the green at any one time, reserved for those teeing off next – maintain social distancing

Out of action, empty and covered.

England Golf allows golfers to take preferred lies in bunkers. This enables club competitions to function for handicap purposes.

Do not touch flagsticks or remove them from hole.

Plastic insert will stop your ball from going to bottom of the hole.

One player to look, keep to 3 minute rule – maintain social distancing.

Move away from the 18^th green quickly.

No large social gatherings / groups:  Maintain social distancing at all times.

To remain CLOSED until deemed safe to open.

Buggies for hire

Members/visitors are permitted to use club (electric) buggies but buggies must be booked/reserved in advance. This will allow them to be positioned outside before play to minimise some of the risks involved.

On completion of the round, members/visitors must leave the key in the buggy and in the car park where they collected it, allowing it to be thoroughly disinfected, and stored away securely through the night.

These buggies will only be available to begin hire in the hours 09:00 – 14:00, to ensure they are returned before the clubhouse closes at 18.00.

Buggies can only be used by one golfer unless the hire is by two golfers living in the same household, and the costs are as follows: (18 holes)

Member £10 single, £17 for two persons

Member 65 years or over, £5 single, £10 for two persons.

Visitor £13 single, £20 for two persons

Private Buggies

Use at buggy owners discretion. Clean before & after use.

Trolleys for Hire

Members/visitors can now ask for trolley handles before play for a charge of £3. We ask all members/visitors who’ve acquired a handle to leave it in the trolley outside to allow it to be fully disinfected and stored away safely.

Security

Members are asked to strictly observe social distancing and cleanliness, reminding others, if necessary.  Also, to cautiously challenge any non-members on the course, particularly early morning and evening times.

Members’ guests,

Visitors

Visitors are now permitted to play Bellingham Golf Club, in 2,3 or 4 balls, providing the full payment is made online through the BRS link on the club website at www.bellinghamgolfclub.com

A daily window of tee times bookable by visitors up to eight days in advance has been allocated. The time window for visitors will be 11:30am-2pm, Monday to Saturday and 11.30am to 12.30pm on Sunday.

Members are also able to book these tee times up to 15 days in advance.

Members are also permitted to bringing one guest per day at the £10 member guest fee. Members may play with their guest at any time during the day.

Payments

Any payments for guests/buggies can now be made in the clubhouse, at the screens on the end of the bar, allowing for transactions to be completed in a socially responsible way.

Where possible, we ask that all payments be made by card to avoid the handling of cash.

Staff operating in the clubhouse and surrounding areas will wear gloves at all times.

Staff

Daily staff will be operating essentially as front of house. As the clubhouse will only have golfers passing through without unnecessarily lingering, it is the duty of the staff to ensure all golfers play on time, buggies are handled and dealt with accordingly, and all other aspects of day to day golf operations are managed safely.

Competitions & Scorecards

Competitions Protocol updated 28 May 2020

Men’s competitions are played from the White tees. Ladies competitions from the Red tees.

Competitions commenced on 28^th May, following the current fixture list. There will be a few alterations in the future to enable competitions that have been passed by in recent weeks to be re-arranged. Members will be notified of any alterations in the weekly newsletter.

Tee times for competitions must be booked on BRS prior to arriving at the Club to play.

Blank scorecards must be collected in the foyer

Members must be signed into the competition by a member of Club Staff in the lounge and pay entry money before teeing off in the competition.

To avoid using envelopes please pay all competition entries to club staff at the bar. Card payments for competitions are preferred, and for those unable to do so, we ask you to bring the correct amount of change. (£4 to £5 in change)

There should be no exchange of scorecards between players. Having collected a scorecard from the foyer, please fill in your playing partner’s name and handicap on the card. Fill in the scorecard as you play the round and on completion of the round verbally check with your playing partner that you each agree with the totals. Sign the card in the section for marker signature. If your playing partner wishes to, they can also sign the card but without touching it. However, it is acceptable to complete the card with only the marker signature on. You must handle your playing partner’s card - do not expect them to do so.

Show the completed card to club staff at the bar and read the scores.Club staff will enter the score manually into the laptop without having to handle the card. Once the cards are checked over for signatures, handicaps and score, players can then dispose of the cards into a bin by the bar.

Golfers who complete their competition round after 6pm should post signed scorecards into the letterbox of the GOLF CLUB FLAT. These cards will be gathered the next morning.

We urge members to please use the hand sanitizers whenever possible. Club Staff will be handling all cash and cards with disposable gloves, and he will be constantly wiping down the bar to disinfect the surface.

Competition results are anticipated to be completed the following morning, with results published on the club website then. All sweep money will be worked out at least 5 days after the day of said competition, to minimise the risk of contact with COVID-19. Please do not come up asking for winnings until these5 days have passed