A senior Government minister has confirmed that golf courses will re-open in England on March 29.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi told a radio station that outdoor sports, such as golf, will be free to resume from that date as part of a four-part plan to lift the country's COVID-19 lockdown.
The measures will be outlined in full by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson later today but, speaking on LBC, Zahawi confirmed the reports that started circulating over the weekend.
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"Outdoor is safer and therefore we prioritise versus indoor," he said. "Outdoor sports - tennis, golf, outdoor organised team sports, grassroots football - will go back on March 29.
"At the moment, it's outdoors versus indoors. Outdoors is the priority because it's where the transmission rates are much, much, much lower."
It is anticipated that there will still be some restrictions, with play likely to be limited to a mix of no more than two households.
Golf courses in England have been closed since January 4 - the third time in under a year that they have been placed in a coronavirus-enforced lockdown.
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That's in stark contrast to Scotland where, despite a post-Christmas tightening of measures designed to mitigate the spread of the disease, courses have remained open.
Those in Wales and Northern Ireland also remain closed. Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has started the process of easing restrictions but has not yet re-opened courses, whilst lockdown has recently been extended in Northern Ireland until at least April 1, with a review of measures scheduled for March 18.
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