Coronavirus lockdown: Can I still go for a walk on the golf course?
- Published
The Ranfurly Old Course was one of those to welcome walkers during lockdown
Golf is one of the sports which can resume from Friday as the lockdown restrictions start to ease in Scotland.
Over the last two months many empty courses have become a well-trodden path for walkers and dog owners - so what happens when golfers return to the fairways?
'It's a pleasure to walk across'
Some courses have welcomed locals to explore their grounds during lockdown, earning the gratitude of families like the Dawsons.
Dad Peter said they had decided to stay away from Rouken Glen Park in East Renfrewshire after it got "crazy busy".
Instead, they have been exercising at the nearby Cathcart Castle golf course.
Peter Dawson and his family have been walking on Cathcart Castle golf course
Peter said: "It's a pleasure to walk across. We stay away from the greens and bunkers."
He hopes non-golfers will be able to continue using the course in the future.
So do members of the public have the right to walk on golf courses?
In short, yes.
However, you must keep off the greens and avoid doing anything which could damage the playing surface.
People walking on Swanston Golf Course in Edinburgh
You must also not interfere with the game. This includes allowing players to play their shot before crossing a fairway, and being still when close to someone who is about to play.
The Scottish Outdoor Access Code, external makes clear that walkers should also keep dogs on a lead and follow paths where they exist.
Cyclists and horse riders should stick to paths at all times.
Scottish Golf, the sport's governing body, says: "We have seen lots of positive stories of communities coming together during these difficult times and by following these guidelines, it will ensure everyone can continue to stay active and enjoy their exercise of choice alongside one another safely."
What do golf courses say?
Mike Robson, the director of Swanston Golf Course in Edinburgh, said hundreds of people had been walking across the course every day since the lockdown started.
"Our biggest worry is that when we reopen people will continue to walk across the fairways forgetting that it is a golf course," he said.
"They are entitled to walk on it, but they must treat it like a golf course.
"We don't want to be confrontational with people but we will have to post members of our team around the course to appeal to people not to walk across for safety reasons. They can use the paths around the edge."
'Generosity and kindness'
Some non-golfers have shown their gratitude for being welcomed onto their local courses.
The Old Course Ranfurly Golf Club in Bridge of Weir said it was "heart warming to be reminded of the generosity and kindness which remains in our local community" after it received a donation.
A local resident sent the cheque to show his appreciation for allowing him and his wife to take their daily exercise by walking on the course.
He had never previously ventured onto the course, despite living nearby for almost 40 years.
The club's Kenny Barr said there had been an opportunity to "give back" local people after noticing local roads were "rammed full of people out walking".
"We had the space to let people do what they needed to do. We put in place a few rules and asked people to respect them."
However, he said that when golfers returned to the course, safety considerations meant the club was asking people to "do their exercise elsewhere".
'Mess and damage'
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While many clubs have been happy to allow people to use the courses for walks during the lockdown, some have experienced problems.
In April, Dullatur Golf Club in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, took to social media to complain about the "absolutely shocking behaviour", external of a minority of locals.
It said while it was happy to "share space" with the community in "unprecedented times", some people had been using the course "as they would a public park".
The incidents had included children playing with buckets and spades in the bunkers, and "mess and damage" caused by people playing football and hockey, cycling, and having picnics, external.
It initially appealed for people to stop using the course for anything other than walking.
On Monday, it said it was now closed to the general public, external for walking, dog walking or general exercise "with immediate effect" so staff could get the course ready for the resumption of play on Friday.
Golfers 'gagging' to get back on the course
John Thorpe is looking forward to playing golf again
With lockdown restrictions easing, Swanston Golf Course said it was fully booked for the coming weekend.
"Everyone is gagging for a game," said Mike Robson.
Club member John Thorpe, 54, said he was "really excited" to be able to play again.
"It will be really good to be back playing again and to see my friends," he said.
"I've been very jealous of my brother in Bristol who has been able to play for the past two weeks.
"There has been nothing to do while the courses were shut, it's been terrible."
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