2021 Covid Restrictions

Posted on by greenacresgc

With the return to four-balls we are planning to start handicap-qualifying activities until the Northern Ireland Expert Group on Sport allows Clubs to organise formal competitions.

Update: The return to competitive golf was granted on Saturday 24th April 2021

For further information on what competitions we will run can be found on the following web pages:
Competitions – https://greenacres-golfclub.co.uk/competitions/
Midweek Leagues – https://greenacres-golfclub.co.uk/competitions/midweek-competitions/
Saturday Competition Schedule – https://greenacres-golfclub.co.uk/competitions/schedule/

TEE TIMES
Members wishing to submit an acceptable score from Sunday to Friday should book their tee time on the Golf Centre BRS booking system.

The Club will operate a Saturday start sheet on howdidido.co.uk.

As always if you are unable to play at the time you have been allocated the Committee would ask members to remove their names as soon as possible to allow other members to fill your space. Members failing to remove their name will be fined.

Until restrictions are relaxed members cannot turn up and fill an empty slot on the Saturday Time Sheet due to Club’s requirements to meet track and trace regulations.

MEMBERS ROOM
Until the NI Executive restrictions are relaxed members should only be in the members room to access the cabinet and / or touch screen.

There should be no more than four in the room at any one time. Members are also asked to always follow social distancing rules and should, unless exempt, always wear a mask.

TOUCH SCREEN
To help with the administration of handicaps the touch screen will be in operation again. This MUST only be used when members do not have access to the howdidido.co.uk app or website to minimise the risk to other members.

If you must use the touch screen, please ensure you sanitise your hands before and after use of the screen.

PROTOCOL
The Golf Centre was only allowed to open after signing up to the NI Protocol agreed between Golf Ireland and the NI Executive. Members are asked to read it in full [Updated 24/04/ 2021but to ensure that the game is played safely, golfers must observe the following rules.

  • If you are ill or have symptoms, stay at home.
  • Under no circumstances should you arrive at the club to play golf without booking in advance.
  • If not using the driving range prior to your round; aim to arrive at the club no more than 15 minutes prior to play.
  • Always observe physical distancing rules following your arrival at the club.
  • Do not arrive at the first tee more than 5 minutes before your allotted tee time.
  • DO NOT TEE OF BEFORE YOUR ALLOCATED TIME
  • Observe physical distancing at all times on the course.
  • Following play of a hole, do not enter the next teeing ground until all members of the group in front have played their tee-shots and exited the teeing ground.

BEFORE THE ROUND

SIGN IN / REGISTER TO PLAY
For Saturday rounds, after the start sheet closes, all members will be automatically signed into handicap-qualifying event. All you need to do is return your score.

For all other rounds sign in will open at 6:00 on the first morning of the and close at 18:00 on the last day of the event. Members MUST sign in prior to starting their round via the howdidido.co.uk or the touch screen.

The touch screen MUST only be used if you do not have access to howdidido.co.uk.

Members wishing to return an acceptable score outside of a organised events MUST also do the same.
As acceptable scores are uploaded to the new central handicapping system at midnight every day regardless of the competition being closed or not, members MUST only sign in on the day they are entering the competition.

SCORE CARDS
Scores for Club Events and Casual Golf can be returned via the howdidido.co.uk website / app and via the touch screen.

IMPORTANT CHANGE FROM 2020: Score cards MUST be completed by the marker who is responsible for recording the date, event name or casual golf, players name, course handicap and the players’ score.

ENTRY FEE
The entry fee for all handicap-qualifying activities will be £5 – please bring correct amount as the Golf Centre will not be handling money on our behalf.

Place your money into the envelopes provided then write on the outside of the envelope
• your name and anyone else you are paying into the event.
• the date
• the name of the competition you are entering.
The envelope should then be placed into the relevant slot in the cabinet.

These will be matched to the entry list, prior to the event being closed. If the Entry fee has not been paid the member will be disqualified but the score will be acceptable for handicapping purposes.

DURING THE ROUND
Until further notice 24/04/2021 the following local rules will be in play:

E-2 Cleaning Ball – not in play from 25/04
When a player’s ball lies the general area, the ball may be lifted, cleaned and replaced without penalty. The player must mark the spot before lifting the ball (see Rule 14.1) and the ball must be replaced on its original spot (see Rule 14.2).
E-3 Preferred Lies – not in play from 25/04
When a player’s ball lies in the general area cut to fairway height or less, the player may take free relief once by placing the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area:

Reference Point: Spot of the original ball.
Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: 6 inches from the reference point, but with these limits:
Limits on Location of Relief Area: Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point and Must be in the general area.

In proceeding under this Local Rule, the player must choose a spot to place the ball and use the procedures for replacing a ball under Rules 14.2b(2) and 14.2e.

The penalty for breach of a Local Rule is the General Penalty

Play the Ball as it Lies
From Sunday 25th April 2021 the ball should be played as it lies.

FLAGSTICKS
The depth of the hole has been modified to facilitate the safe retrieval of golf balls from the hole.
A ball is holed in these circumstances when it is at rest with ANY part of it in the hole below the level of the putting surface.

The flagstick must not be intentionally removed – or attempted to be removed – from the hole at any time. The penalty for breach of this rule is as follows:
• First Breach – Warning
• Second Breach – General Penalty
• Third Breach – Disqualification

This does not apply where the player merely touches the flagstick with his/her equipment or otherwise for any other purpose or cause the flagstick to be moved or removed through an incidental act, including the centring of the flagstick as permitted.

For further information see guidance on the Golf Ireland website.

BUNKERS
Players are allowed to smooth the bunkers using either their foot or a club after playing their stroke.
The Club have introduced a local rule allowing preferred lies in the bunker following the provisions for a ball in the general area (MLR E-3). The relief area permitted is 6 inches from the reference point. Note the area may not be smoothed before placing.

LOST BALL
To allow groups to keep their position on the course, players are encouraged to play provisional balls if there is a chance that the ball may be lost outside a penalty area or be out of bounds.

END of ROUND

SCORE CARDS
Scores for Club Events and Casual Golf can be returned via the howdidido.co.uk app / website. Members returning scores via this method MUST identify who marked their score. There is no need to send a copy of the score card to a member of the Match & Handicap committee.

When a paper score card is only method used to return a score, the marker should ask the player to certify their scores at the end of the round and enter the score into computer via the touch screen on their behalf. If the marker is unable to do this another member is permitted to enter the own score using the touch screen on their behalf.

Completed paper score cards must returned to the relevant slot in the cabinet as we are required by CONGU to keep these for twelve months for peer review. For casual golf members should use the Match & Handicap slot.

Score entry on howdidido.co.uk will be open from 10:00 on the first day of the competition until 23:30 on the last day of the competition.

Members MUST return cards on the day they played as all acceptable scores affect the Playing Conditions Calculation.

Clarification

  • Members can you the Touchscreen to sign in and return a score for competitive golf & general play at Greenacres Golf Club [what Club v1 refer to as casual golf]
  • Members can use the HowDidiDo app or website to return a score for competitive golf and general play at Greenacres
  • Some members have reported that if you sign in via the Touchscreen, they were not able to return a score via the app
  • Members can use the Golf Ireland app to return a general play score at Greenacres or another club.