Green light for golf
14 MAY 2020
The Provinces of Quebec and Ontario have now announced that golf courses can open with strict safety precautions in place. In Ontario, we will be opening all courses as of Saturday, May 16 and in Quebec, all courses will open on Wednesday, May 20.
With this announcement, we are excited to welcome you back at all of our Clubs. Our managers, full time and seasonal employees have been busy preparing for opening which includes training of seasonal staff on all the new Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). We’ve reviewed our new SOP to make sure it complies with the COVID-19 golf course guidelines provided by the Provincial Governments and we’re now pleased to share its details with you. But first, a quick update about the process for booking tee times, which everyone will need before venturing out to any of our Clubs (no walk-up play permitted in phase one).
Today’s announcement comes inside our normal seven-day advanced tee time booking window. Given this short notice and in order to provide the least chaotic, most equitable booking experience, we will be utilizing a staggered approach to taking reservations through LinkLine and LinkLine OnLine.
Tee time bookings can begin Friday, May 15 at 7 a.m. for Saturday, May 16 only. On Saturday, tee times can be booked for Sunday, May 17 and Monday, May 18 only. On Monday, reservations can be made for Tuesday, May 19 through Saturday May 23. The LinkLine call center and LinkLine OnLine open daily at 7 a.m. The LinkLine call center closes at 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and at 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays.
Top priority is given to Home Club Members booking at their Home Club and interclub play will be somewhat limited in this initial phase of opening. On weekend and holiday mornings, we have temporarily adopted a policy to not permit Social Members, interclub play or guests, prior to 11 a.m.
Please review our Phase One SOP prior to visiting any Club as there are a number of operational modifications and golfer best practices to be aware of. These policies and procedures are in place to reduce the risk of our Members, guests, employees or their families from contracting the coronavirus. Government agencies will be monitoring golf courses and other newly re-opened businesses therefore it is imperative to unconditionally respect the guidelines of our SOP to ensure everyone’s safety and to avoid any future interruption to club operations.
Please click here to view the SOP.
Some of the more critical things for golfers to be mindful of are as follows:
BEFORE VISITING ANY CLUB
- Please stay home if feeling unwell or if you have traveled recently
- You must have a pre-booked tee time to access any Club (no walk-up play permitted). Members may pre-book for one round per day only.
- Please plan to arrive no earlier than 30 minutes ahead of your pre-booked tee time and ideally only 20 minutes ahead
WHEN YOU ARRIVE
- A staff member will greet you upon arrival and prior to accessing the parking area or any amenities of the Club. The greeter will provide instructions related to the local Club operational protocols and ask that you remain at your vehicle in the parking area until a specified time, which will vary by Club (usually between 15 and 20 minutes ahead of your tee time).
- Practice physical distancing and respiratory etiquette at all times. Keep one flagstick length away from others, avoid touching surfaces, sanitize your hands frequently, avoid common greetings such as handshakes, and please do not gather in groups to socialize at any time.
CHECK-IN AND PREPARING FOR PLAY
- The bag drop structure will be available to drop off your clubs. However, our golf services staff will not be handling golfer’s equipment including: unloading from your vehicle, placing equipment on power carts or push carts. Please self-serve from the marked staging areas of sanitized and ready to use power carts or push carts.
- Golf carts are single use only except where individuals reside in the same household and sanitized after each use
- Please check-in with the starter exactly 5 minutes prior to your tee time. This is critical for distancing purposes and keeping the tee on time.
- Practice facilities will be available for golfers with a pre-booked tee time only
- All clubhouse restaurants are closed for table and bar service. Limited pre-packaged confectionary items, refreshments and essential items for golf such as gloves, balls, headwear, etc. will be available in one designated location.
- Only Member account charges are accepted for any purchases (no signature required)
- Washroom facilities will be available
DURING YOUR ROUND
- You will notice the absence of certain course furniture items such as benches; and ball washers are not in service
- Water coolers or water stations are not in service. Water and other refreshments will be available for purchase from one designated location.
- Bunker rakes will be removed from the course and bunkers will be temporarily played as lift, clean and place. Please use your foot to smooth your footprints as you exit a bunker.
- Flagsticks have been labelled ‘do not touch’ and golfers are instructed to keep flagsticks in the hole. The hole will be modified to allow you to remove your ball from the hole without touching the hole with your hand.
- On-course washrooms will be available
AFTER YOUR ROUND
- Designated areas have been created for the safe return and sanitization of power carts and push carts. When returning your cart after unloading your personal items, we ask that you dispose of all garbage in the bins provided at the cart return area.
- In order to avoid potential social gatherings, we ask that you depart immediately following your round
It is also important to note that we have implemented enhanced housekeeping practices, including cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, equipment, and high frequency touch points. The most up to date version of SOP can always be viewed by visiting your Club website or clublink.ca and click on the main menu (hamburger-like looking navigation button on top left corner of your screen).
We have established a central repository to receive feedback about your experience at our Clubs. If you notice SOP guidelines not being respected, or if you feel there is something we can improve upon, please email us at COVID19@clublink.ca. Your feedback is valuable and always appreciated.
It’s truly exciting to welcome you back to our Clubs, and we recognize that things will feel a bit different in the early days as we deal with this novel coronavirus pandemic. But the familiar faces of our friendly staff, great course conditions and the strong community of Members at each club will make for an enjoyable experience.
Your patience and loyalty is greatly appreciated. Let’s all work together to enjoy a safe return to our Clubs and the sport we love.
Sincerely,
John Finlayson
Chief Operating Officer
ClubLink