Return to Golf announcement from Barnham Broom Hotel

Dear Members

We hope you have all been keeping safe and I’m sure you are eager to dust off the clubs and hit the fairways again, following several weeks of lockdown and especially with warmer weather forecasted on the horizon.

We have completed a thorough review of the government guidelines and industry recommendations for dealing with “best practise” when golf courses can re-open; and are pleased to outline how we will adapt our golf club accordingly to allow you to return and reopen on Friday 15th May from 9am. Our main priority is ensuring safety measures can be maintained to ensure members and staff can return to Barnham Broom.

We have a number of things to consider and update you about, which are outlined below. We remind members and their guests to adhere to the Government’s guidelines and in particular follow social distancing and hand sanitisation.

Access & new temporary / short term measures

Our golf operations will be re-located temporarily to our Barford Suite, where we have car parking in close proximity, gated access directly to the courses, an abundance of outdoor areas and most importantly spacious surroundings. In this area we can offer the best social distancing layout to ensure you can check in safely, have a clear route to follow and still offer many of the usual items for sale you would find in the professional shop. Access will only be through the Barford Suite area as the other parts of Barnham Broom remain closed.

Additional safety measures adopted are listed below:

• Pre booking of tee times preferably using the online BRS system, you will not be able to just turn up to play. No shows may incur a green fee. • 10 days advance booking for members, 5 days for non-members • Respectfully requesting 2 tee times per week maximum booked, to allow availability for all • 2 ball play only and whilst always maintaining social distancing • Members should not arrive more than 20 minutes (Valley) and 30 minutes (Hill) prior to their tee time unless using the range. Numbers will be restricted using the practise areas, so you may have to wait in turn. • Footwear to be changed in the car park • Academy course will only be available for academy members and coaching • Increased sanitiser availability around check in touch points • Hire items will be pre-sanitised prior to use • Course furniture removed where appropriate, requests to not touch flagsticks, hole cups, hand rails and bells • We strongly recommend you bring your own personal sanitiser or anti-bacterial wipes

Social distancing & self-isolating when high risk

At all times we will be encouraging social distancing measures to be followed, on and off the golf courses, we strongly urge all members and their guests to follow this practise. Should you be in a high risk category and have been asked by the NHS to self-isolate, we will suspend membership on the production of an applicable letter.

Membership subscriptions

For those on annual memberships, credits, by way of gift vouchers will be given to use against guest green fees, rentals or range – for the loss of play in April, by way of a goodwill gesture. For expired annual members, this credit will only be offered once membership is renewed.

Direct debits re-commence from mid-May in line with the course re-opening, new season tariffs will be applied from Mid-June.

Should your membership have expired since shut down, prompt payment will ensure access to the courses can be provided. You will receive your renewal notification this week via Club V1 e mail. Please make your payment via online banking, using your full name as the reference or by credit or debit card on your next return to play.

As you are aware we have had no revenue during this period of shutdown, so we would be very grateful for your membership payments to be made promptly.

Booking tee times and next steps

Finally, we will re-open the BRS tee sheets for both courses on Wednesday 13th May at 3pm to ensure fairness and availability to all members. Please note pre bookings have been removed and all competitions cancelled for the time being. For now you can book up to 10 days in advance and should book no more than 2 tee times per week as a reminder, until the demand levels out. Please call as usual if you do not have access to the online system, after 3pm tomorrow. Due to the expected demand, please do try and use the online booking system, as our phones may get very busy. 24 hours later at 3pm on Thursday 14th May we will open any visitor availability, but this will be limited for 5 day advance booking only.

When you return, you will notice signage and direction to ensure we adhere to the new measures and most of all please observe the social distancing rules and ensure hand sanitisation is also followed.

We look forward to seeing you very soon and welcoming you back to Barnham Broom Golf Club and as a reminder, please park on the Barford Suite side to access the golf course.

With best wishes

Shaun & the golf team