Since April 28, the date of the presentation by the Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, of the deconfinement plan, and after the various communications from Roxana Maracineanu, Minister of Sports, it appeared that golf could be among the first disciplines including practice would be authorized again on May 11th.

It then remained, with all of our interlocutors within the Ministries of Sports, Economy, Labor, Health and Tourism, as well as with the Elysée and Matignon, to specify the modalities which were to frame the return and practice of all golfers (part on the course, free practice at the driving range or on the play areas or teaching supervised by a pro), and the resumption of the various services operated by golf clubs in general.

This afternoon, these methods were officially validated for the entire territory, rewarding the combined action of the ffgolf, its Leagues, Departmental Committees and all the players in the sector.

The terms below complement the widely circulated government guidelines, will be in effect from May 11 to June 1, and may be extended. They may be reviewed as the health and regulatory situation evolves.
The clubs will maintain organizational flexibility according to three principles to keep in mind: guarantee respect for barrier gestures, respect physical distance in all circumstances and prohibit any gathering of more than 10 people.

GOLF RESUME MAY 11

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

- Physical distance: in all circumstances, a minimum distance of 2 meters between 2 individuals must be respected within golf facilities.

- Interactions: within golf facilities, they must be limited as much as possible. In any case, any grouping of more than ten people is prohibited.

- Wearing a mask: it may be required in “closed and covered” spaces, including “inside”. Example: a golfer passing by the reception to pay his green-fee or to buy balls.

- Hydroalcoholic gel: golfers are asked to bring a bottle of hydroalcoholic gel.

Clubs will take steps to ensure that these principles are followed on all occasions.

CLUB HOUSE AND FACILITIES

- Reception and Proshop: they will generally be open.
- Changing rooms: they will be closed.
- Lounges - Restaurants - Bars: they will be closed. In some clubs, a take-out catering service can be set up.

BEFORE GOING TO GOLF

- Reservation required - game: whatever the status of the golfers (subscriber, member, or player at the green-fee), and to avoid overcrowding the receptions, they are required to book their departure beforehand by phone or online. .

- Reservation required - lesson: in the same way, all golfers wishing to take a lesson must book in advance.

- Mandatory prior information - free training: all players are requested, at a minimum, to register before going to the club.

With your help, golf courses will be able to control the flow of players within the club.
- Compliance with general health safety instructions: golfers should not come and play in the event of fever, cough, signs of nasopharyngeal infection, etc.

- Equipment:
o Golf bags: clubs could cease to act as “caddy master”. In this case, the players will therefore have to arrive with their bag and leave with it.

o Shoes: the club changing rooms must remain closed, golfers will be asked to change their shoes outside.

GOLF GAMES

- Arrival on site - schedule: golfers must join the club no more than 30 minutes before their departure time.

- Arrival on site - parking: upon arrival at the golf car park, golfers must respect the rules of physical distancing and any grouping of more than 10 people is strictly prohibited, even in the car park.

- Arrival on site - reception: after having previously reserved their game before arriving on site, golfers will report to reception for the usual formalities.

- Equipment:
o Consumables: golfers can go to Proshop before their game by following the instructions given to them by the staff.

o Personal equipment: players must only use their own equipment (bag, clubs, balls, cart) and there must be no exchanges of equipment between players during the game.

o Cart rental: this will be possible if the club can disinfect it.

o Cart rental: they will be used individually if the golf courses can provide disinfection. Collective use will only be possible for people from the same household.

- Catering: golfers will be able, in clubs which are able to offer it, to order food and drink, thanks to a take-out system.

- Driving range - small game training areas: golfers can warm up before going to the start for their round. They will be able to access these areas within the authorized 30 minutes before their departure time.

- Number of players per game: there will be up to four authorized players per game. The clubs, depending on their constraints, may limit the number of players per game, or favor 9-hole games, or have recourse to 1 and 10 starts. Clubs retain this flexibility of organization according to three principles to be kept in mind. the spirit: guarantee respect for barrier gestures, respect physical distancing in all circumstances, prohibit any gathering of players.

- Course of the game:
o Score cards: there will be no exchange of score cards.

o Distancing: from the start and up to the green, players must ensure that they respect the two meters of social distancing.

o Display: barrier gestures as well as the exceptional regulations will be displayed at various places where players pass.

o Bunkers: there will be no more rakes in the bunkers, but the players will have to erase their tracks with their feet or a club.

o Greens: we ask the players to keep the flag in the hole so that they avoid handling it and thus exposing themselves to a risk of contamination. As of May 11, most clubs will have a device allowing the ball to be retrieved from the hole without having to touch the flag or the bogey (a cup, a foam bogey, a suction cup to be attached to the end of the putter…). In the absence of a device in place, two options:

 When the ball comes to rest within 60 centimeters of the hole, the player must "give" the next putt, allowing the player concerned to pick up his ball without risk of contact.

 If the ball has entered the hole, the player must lift it with two fingers to avoid touching the flag or the bogey. And he will use hydroalcoholic gel to clean the potentially affected areas, and his hands, before heading to the start of the next hole.
- Course furniture: furniture such as benches or ball washer will be neutralized.
- Compressed air devices: compressed air devices used to clean the shoes will be neutralized. Guns and air spray are all vectors that can cause virus transmission between players.

- End of the game: golfers must leave the club without further delay, always in order to avoid regrouping around the green of 18. The furniture on the terraces of the clubs will be neutralized.

FREE TRAINING
- Prior information: golfers can come and hit balls and train in all the areas provided for this purpose. In this case, they must before coming to ask the club about the available time slots, and go to reception when they arrive, even if they already have prepaid cards or practice tokens. The club must know that you are present on site to better manage the flows.

- Practice time: the time for individual training sessions may be limited so that more golfers can benefit from it. The clubs may assign players a stack number, or a small game area, for a given period of time, 1 hour or 1 hour and a half, at the discretion of the clubs depending on availability and attendance.
In all cases :
- Distancing: the players will respect a distance of 2 m and the mats can be spaced or neutralized, keeping 1 position out of 2 "active".

- Prepaid cards or disinfected practice tokens: buckets of balls will be obtained with an individual prepaid card or disinfected tokens purchased at the reception.

- Bucket of disinfected balls: empty buckets must be brought back by the players to be disinfected like balls.

- Departure from the site: golfers must indicate their departure when they leave the site. Still with the same objective, the management of flows through golf.

TEACHING TEACHING

- Reservation: golf lessons, individual or group, must be reserved in advance and must not at any time give rise to a "grouping" of more than 10 people.

- Distancing: golfers and teachers must respect the distance of 2 meters. There should be no physical contact. In the case of a group lesson,

the teacher and the students must be particularly vigilant in order to avoid any contact between the students or between the teacher and each student.

- Ground marking: a ground marking will be able to materialize the area serving as the limit for interactions between the teacher and the pupil. Likewise, teachers will be able to acquire additional protective equipment, in particular visors.

- Golf schools: as regards more particularly the golf school, we invite the clubs to contact local authorities, town halls or prefectures, in order to obtain a specific authorization, based on an adjustment of the schedules, taking into account the health context.
Teaching to a young audience is still possible, a fortiori for young experienced players, but must be supervised with care, just like adults.

- Sessions of discovery of golf during school time: the ffgolf is still awaiting information from the Ministries of Sports and National Education, as to the practical modalities that would allow their implementation.
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MESSAGE FROM THE FEDERAL DOCTOR

The very soon reopening of golf courses in France will, of course, be done under very specific conditions.
The Covid-19 epidemic has had dramatic consequences in our country and around the world. To date, we do not have a radical treatment of this virus, which is transmitted by postlets and inert surfaces, in very large proportions.
This is why, the procedure for reopening golf courses, developed and recommended by the French Federation, must be observed with the utmost rigor. It is everyone's responsibility, so that we can practice our favorite sport again in the coming weeks.
The purpose of this procedure is to protect us, our playing partners and golf staff from this dreaded viral infection.
Doctor Olivier Rouillon
National Federal Doctor
French Golf Federation.