As fairways across Scotland were flooded with players yesterday, bosses at a Fife crazy golf course insisted their venue was also permitted to be back in action.
Adventure Golf Island at Fife Leisure Park started taking online bookings ahead of reopening on Friday, despite criticism from some locals that it was stretching the definition of what was acceptable under the lockdown lifting guidelines.
Company director Matthew Corrie said social distancing and extra cleaning procedures would be in place to prevent spread of infection.
He said: “It’s safer than being at a crowded beach. We’ve been operating for 11 years and know how customers interact. People will be coming as families and booking in advance.
“I think we’ve gone above and beyond with the investment we’ve made to allow us to open up safely.”
Dunfermline MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville was among those raising concerns.
The SNP politician said it was “difficult to see how this meets the Scottish Government’s routemap guidance for businesses” during the first phase of easing lockdown restrictions.
“I would urge the owners of Adventure Golf Island to think about whether their decision to reopen is in the best interests of public health,” she said.
“People should remain cautious when travelling outside as every trip will increase their risk of infection.
“That is especially true when people from different households will be sharing equipment, like golf clubs and golf balls.
“We may have entered phase one but we all must remain extremely cautious to avoid this virus getting out of control once again.”
Outdoor pursuits such as golf and tennis have been allowed to resume, with the caveat that taking part in any activities should be done while maintaining physical distancing.
Robert Westlands, lead officer for environmental health at Fife Council, said: “We’ve been in touch with the business and they have confirmed that they are planning to reopen their outside putting green, on Friday, in line with government guidance.
“We will look into their risk assessments and make sure they have safe systems of work in place.”
Douglas Chapman, SNP MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, said: “I can understand the eagerness for businesses to want to reopen their doors to customers as a number of them have been hit financially by this crisis but there is still a serious danger to public health if businesses return prematurely and as a result create a second spike in infections, admissions to hospital and deaths.”
