Dear golf player!

The weather is getting better every day and all the courses are open. I would like to recall the rules laid down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Please read and follow them before going to the course, as the responsibility for following the rules lies with everyone on the golf course, not just the course or the club. We will repeat the rules that are valid until 01.05.2020 according to the preliminary information:

1. Gatherings of more than two people are prohibited and must be kept at a distance of two meters, including in the tee box and on the green. In addition, almost all courses have now introduced a two-member flight limit (larger flights consisting of family members are also not allowed). In cooperation with EGL, the courses have set specific restrictions (the same recommendations have been issued by R&A):

a) Do not shake hands or hug the teammate
b) Do not touch the flagpole or remove the flag from the hole
c) Do not share equipment with the teammate or touch another players ball
d) Do not share drinks / meals
e) Use only a personal golf cart
f) Do not use rakes in bunkers, but restore the state of the bunker as much as possible without the rake. Most of the courses already have no rakes in the bunkers.

2. Organized sport is prohibited. What exactly does this mean?

a) There is no training. It doesn’t matter if it is one or ten trainees. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a handicap player. Many coaches-clubs in other areas have written or video material that can be used by the player in the form of individual training. Hopefully you are already doing extra training according to your coach’s tips.
b) There will be no tournaments / competitions. Today, all clubs / courses have canceled the competitions planned until the end of April.
c) Playing rounds are not HCP eligible. This decision was made by the Golf Association Rules and Handicap Committee on March 25 (read also the corresponding news).

3. The provision of sports center services is limited to:

a) Clubhouses must be closed
b) Equipment must not be rented
c) Ranges are closed or strictly made sure that the distance between people is significantly more than 2 meters.

It is clear that everyone is having a hard time. According to preliminary calculations, this year at least about one million euros will be lost on golf courses due to the cancellation of trips by foreign guests. The income of our coaches and pros depends a lot on the number of green cards and individual trainings and it is not possible to take any trainings or green card courses in March and April. We have to stay together during this difficult time and try to do our best to be able to play golf during the emergency, following the rules mentioned above.

What can happen if you break the rules?

• Any questionable activity and violation of the rules will give the Governments Emergency Commission a reason to implement additional restrictions by closing golf centers completely (many European countries have already followed this path).
• Violation of an order issued by the head of an Emergency Commission is an administrative offense within the meaning of law. By the Government order there will be a penalty payment of up to 2000 euros. The first patrols have already been seen on golf courses.
• EGL has the right to suspend a players or coach’s license if the activities of a golfer or coach contravene the rules established by the course, club or EGL and if this results in significant damage to the sport.

Please follow the instructions above, regardless of what a friend, teammate, pro, course or club representative is saying. If you have additional questions, write to: covid19@golf.ee

 

Stay well and healthy!

Erki Mölder
President of Estonian Golf Association