Changing Alert Levels Info

We enter Level 3 in Tauranga Tuesday 31st August at 11.59pm.

When we drop to alert level 3 we will be following the protocol approved by the board last year.

Do your own preparation, login at https://www.omokoroagolf.co.nz/Member%20Login and check your contact details are correct, learn how to make an online tee booking, make sure you are financially current including foreshore, cart trail levies etc (or please contact me with any payment or financial issues - communication is the key here).

IF THERE IS ANY CHANGE TO THE GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS REGARDING ALERT LEVEL 3 IN REGARDS TO GOLF, WE WILL OF COURSE AMEND AND COMPLY. Otherwise below is the plan:

We must comply with the government requirements under Alert Level 3, or not only risk the health and safety of ourselves and others, but also risk the golf club being restricted to no golf again.

So if you would like to use golf as a form of exercise during Alert Level 3, please make sure you only come to our club if you are prepared to adhere to the following 5 requirements:

1. Do not play golf or come to the club if you do not have a pre-booked confirmed tee booking (contact tracing requirement)

2. Do not come to the golf club if you have any symptoms of illness or are being required to self-isolate after being advised of a potential contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case

3. Only play alone or in 2’s within your Alert 4 bubble, or see the info below re permitted alert 3 bubble extension.

4. Maintain physical distancing of 2+ metres from anyone not in your bubble at all times.

5. Do not use any common equipment touched by people from outside your bubble.

Golf at Omokoroa Golf Club during Alert Level 3 will be restricted to financially current Omokoroa club members only, no green fee visitors.

There is information on what our club has done to address each applicable government Alert Level 3 requirement below, and the further detail required.

Don't use any common equipment touched by people from outside your bubble

• Bunker rakes have been removed
• Flagpoles have been removed
• A “filler” has been placed in the hole to raise the ball height for easier contactless removal
• Ball washers have been covered
• Hire carts and trundlers will not be available

Private carts - solo use only or the person you share a bubble bed with.

Retail and hospitality businesses - customers cannot enter the clubhouse including the office/shop will be closed. No member can enter.

This includes all toilet facilities being closed. Even without the restriction on entering the premise, the toilets would also not be accessible under the first requirement for no shared touched surfaces, it would be impossible to clean effectively between each person, and is a high risk area.

If you run out of balls, tees etc, don’t panic, contactless pre-ordered pick ups are allowed. Contact Office staff who will be on a rolling roster, info@omokoroagolf.co.nz and  make an online payment into the clubs bank account and she will arrange a contactless pickup from outside the clubhouse. Or call 07 548 0384 place order and we will arrange contactless payment.

Recreational activities by yourself or with people from your extended bubble

You by now should be very familiar with who is in your household bubble and how important it is to choose your bubble wisely!

Under Alert Level 3, there is very limited approval to slightly extend your bubble. THIS DOES NOT MEAN you can invent a changing “golf bubble”.

“A bubble is your household – the people you live with. Under Alert Level 3, you can slightly extend your bubble. For example, you can bring in a caregiver you might need, or children who might be in shared care. Or, if you are living alone, or a couple who wants the company of another one or two people. These people do not need to live in the same household, but must be local. Always keep your bubble exclusive, and keep it small.”

If you live alone or as a couple, you can choose to extend your level 4 bubble to include another 1-2 person household bubble for support. However, that person is the sole chosen extension for the duration of Alert Level 3.

Choose wisely, and if you are a couple vs live alone, ensure you have your current bubble mates approval as to who that extension will be. I do not want to hear any reports that you choose a golfing buddy as your households alert level 3 extension, meaning your partner therefore can’t extend the bubble to include a family member or required essential support person. You may be surprised how desperate your partner is to get rid of you, that agreement comes easy.

Due to the requirement to restrict to exercise within bubbles, tee times are restricted to 1 or 2 golfers. Most bubbles will be 1-2 people, so an 'extended bubble' booking of 4 would impact the flow of play around the course. The current club membership does not have any household bubbles that have more than 2 club members in them that we know of.

Practice green, driving net and driving range.

These areas will be open to one bubble at a time. If you arrive and another bubble is using these areas, please do not use them until they are gone. There will be no pins on the practice green.

Pre Booked Tee Booking & Availability

Due to contact tracing requirements, and physical distancing requirements, you must not turn up at the golf club unless you have a pre-booked tee time. This allows us to have a contactless electronic record of who was onsite, on what day, at what time, with who.

Due to shorter daylight hours, required increased tee time spacing, limits to solo or two's at each tee time, we are expecting availability to initially be under pressure from members keen to stretch their legs on the course.

Therefore, we need to maximise as many of our members being able to access an opportunity to book as frequently as possible.

Only 75 -150 golfers (dependent on solo vs 2 person bubbles) can fit on the course allowing for 18 hole play (including times that daylight only allows 9 holes).

Therefore every alternate day will be bookable for playing 9 holes only, starting from both tees 1 and 10. This significantly increases the number of members that can get some exercise and practice on the course.

Remember there will be no toilets open - not many members manage 18 holes without a toilet.

There is also no official handicap scoring golf available under alert level 3, this is purely exercise and recreation for sanity.

We will review how busy the course is as to what to amend the tee time availability to for week 2 of Alert Level 3 before opening up booking for that week.

I recommend you book online, make sure you do not book on a tee time already occupied by someone not in your bubble.

There will be 1 person in the office during Alert Level 3 to assist those who need it with booking or updating your contact details, and to monitor compliance. Please wave at them as you arrive so they can electronically "check you in" via your tee booking to comply with contact tracing requirements.

Stay safe out there everyone.