Golf Lockdown Discussion ** No discussion of breaking Restrictions **

Monster249 wrote: »

That isn't going to fly, the longer they try to impose these restrictions the less obedience they'll get from the people which in itself will lead to a rise in cases.

I agree. Fatigue has not only set in at this stage, it's won out.

Yesterday was bad for people getting a bit too close to each other, Easter will be much worse whether restrictions are still in place or not. Government have over promised and under delivered time and time again, with the vaccination shambles only the most recent example, and, when you combine that with the decent weather which will only continue to improve (by and large), you can forget any compliance that in anyway resembles January's levels until next November.

Preserving the current restrictions exactly as they are is the epitome of flogging a dead horse. They have to come up with something. The 5k has to go. Outdoor sport needs to come back because, as Ive pointed out before, this will filter people (some, by no means all) away from parks, beauty spots etc into more controlled, regulated and ultra safe environments which can only have the effect of reducing cases.

Either that or zero covid. Indeed, I think most of us would just settle for proper restrictions on air travel. I was reading about Tawain's success yesterday. You'd wonder how we couldve gotten it so wrong.

Arnold54321 wrote: »

Bad news. Rumours coming out that golf will not reopen in April and we’ll have to wait till after the May Bank Holiday weekend. Can’t believe it myself but they believe there’s an increase in case numbers coming which will keep the country in Level 5 till at least May.

Where did you hear that?

Bill Ponderosa wrote: »

Sounds like the usual leaking from the government. Hopefully it doesn't happen but as had been said already the ship has sailed, the restrictions will not be obeyed. As Bob Marlay once said you can't fool all the people all the time.

Restrictions like the 5k will be broken. But a golf course will still be shut if things aren’t eased, no club is really going to be the one to open and draw the negative attention on themselves

Seve OB wrote: »

Where did you hear that?

From a journalist.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/covid-19-cabinet-split-on-easing-5km-limit-in-april-as-work-from-home-advice-to-remain-until-june-1.4514206?mode=amp

Apparently golf and other outdoor activities where earlier highlighted as opening back up in April, NPHET had other ideas and now with an increase in cases, politicians are too wary to speak out against them.

If they don't open golf in April I think many people will not renew their membership as all you will get is a few months play before the autumn

Arnold54321 wrote: »

From a journalist.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/covid-19-cabinet-split-on-easing-5km-limit-in-april-as-work-from-home-advice-to-remain-until-june-1.4514206?mode=amp

Apparently golf and other outdoor activities where earlier highlighted as opening back up in April, NPHET had other ideas and now with an increase in cases, politicians are too wary to speak out against them.

Are we reading the same article? I don't see anything in there to suggest that golf won't reopen after Easter.

First Up wrote: »

So we close the schools, shops, factories and offices and teleport you to and from the golf course , which will be mysteriously cutting it's own grass. Sounds a winning formula. I hope you have shared your wisdom with NPHET.

The general argument here is golf is safer than the schools,shops,factories and offices you mentioned so why is it still closed?
You will probably be stopping for petrol/coffee on your way to any of the above as well.

First Up wrote: »

Well you gave playing golf a higher safety rating than schools, so presumably you think all settings where people mix indoors are more dangerous.

Of course

First Up wrote: »

For golf courses to be open, they need staff, equipment and supplies. That would need all golf related activity to be exempted from restrictions.

Walking the fairways is the easy bit.

I think you are winding people up now.
Staff has been maintaining courses since this began last year.
Perhaps if you played the game you might know this.

Break80 wrote: »

The general argument here is golf is safer than the schools,shops,factories and offices you mentioned so why is it still closed?
You will probably be stopping for petrol/coffee on your way to any of the above as well.

It's not just about how safe each activity is, it's also about how important it is to allow that activity. Opening schools allows for our kids to be educated and allows parents to work from home. Opening golf courses allows for people to play golf and gives a relatively small number of people (in the scheme of things) employment. There's no comparison between the two.

It's the same for construction. Much higher risk than golf, much greater benefit. You're not just comparing the risk.

The government will take an unbelievable amount of flack if they don't ease the restrictions in some way on 5th April. They'll also take huge flack further down the line if they ease them and things get out of control again. Which is exactly what happened in December - they caved to public / publican pressure to reopen, most people were glad of it at the time and a month later everyone was calling the government idiots for reopening when they had demanded it.

The truth is now that the cases are twice what they were in December when we reopened and are no longer falling. If we ease restrictions that R number will increase and if it's at 1 at present it will go beyond 1 and cases will start to increase again.

However, there's the vaccine. Between the number of people who have been vaccinated and the number who should be protected from previously having had the virus, surely we have a significant number of people immune. So as more people become protected from the virus, we should be able to allow more contacts (such as opening golf) and have the R number hold steady.

But if they get it wrong and open up too soon the numbers will shoot up again. And instead of having another month of lockdown now, we might end up with another three months of it down the line. I don't know what the right thing to do is. It must be incredibly difficult for the government to figure out what the best course of action (or inaction) is and they have access to all the data, all the experts. I would say they would love to be as confident as the posters here on the best course of action, but they're being burdened by data and advice from experts. Maybe they need the Brexit strategy of "we've heard enough from the experts in this debate, now it's time to decide what to do without listening to them."

If golf opens then I will be safe and at a slightly smaller risk of COVID 19

Because instead of playing golf tomorrow I am going drinking with family members