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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.


author headshot

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor

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