BIGGA AND R&A RELEASE "ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE" STATEMENT

Following the government’s announcement last week that “essential” maintenance was permitted on golf courses during the current outbreak, BIGGA and the R&A have issued some further guidance for what that means.

BIGGA issued a statement saying they believed that clubs and greenkeepers were interpreting the phrase very differently and that themselves and the R&A and supported by the wider UK golf industry, "believed strongly that this phrase needed definition and clarity".

The two organisations have produced a statement that sets out a maximum level of work that is considered essential for golf courses at this time.

An announcement regarding the guidance on the BIGGA website reads, "The prime factor in all this is the health and safety of our members and their families. It is vital that work only takes place in the safest of environments with stringent measures in place to prevent greenkeepers being exposed to the virus. We believe that with good care it is possible to provide such an environment, but also believe that work should be kept to the minimum described.

"Importantly, the guidance will remain under review as climatic conditions change and if the period of lockdown extends. If the measures extend for a longer period of time, the scope of what is considered essential work may evolve.

"We would urge all golf clubs and greenkeepers to abide by the guidance in order that greenkeepers are kept safe and the nation’s golf courses are kept in a condition which will be recoverable at the end of this terrible period."

You can download a PDF of the 'Essential Maintenance Statement for Golf Courses during COVID-19 Outbreak' from BIGGA and the R&A here.