Three major golf clubs in Baguio are gearing up for the reopening of the fairways on June 1, as the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) has advised stricter measures and guidelines when the sport resumes in the Summer Capital.
Camp John Hay, Baguio Country Club, and Pinewoods Golf & Country Club will adopt the major guidelines issued by NGAP, such as wearing of face mask by players and caddies, including those in the registration area and those who directly serve the players and clients in the club houses.
Caddies will also be required to wear face shields and all those entering the premises will be subjected to thermal scanning.
Information has it that the use of some facilities, such as shower room and lockers, will be off-limits to players until further notice.
Physical distancing among caddies and players will also be imposed while players will be required to bring their own water bottles or containers, which can be refilled at designated areas.
The clubs will also impose strict tee time reservation for their personnel to prepare ahead of the game while other clubs will require all players to leave the course immediately after their respective games to discourage congestion at the clubs.
According to reports, majority of the local clubs will operate from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Players without any tee time reservations shall not be allowed to play.
A 15 to 20-minute interval between flights will also be observed and each flight will be composed of maximum of four players.
At Pinewoods, the management has decided to limit the number of caddies to two per flight. The two caddies will share one golf cart following the players.
Golf is one of the sports allowed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases in areas under the general community quarantine such as Baguio and the six Cordillera provinces. – Harley F. Palangchao
