RI Restrictions Update: Ball Washers Allowed, No Cup Modification Needed
The Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation (DBR) has issued updated restrictions for golf as the 2021 season is set to get underway.
The “biggest” changes are that ball washers and bunker rakes may now be put back in place.
Previously, some courses had put bunker rakes on the back of golf carts for players to use.
DBR says that cups “no longer need to be flipped or modified.”
The raised cups was a brutal way to play the game. Most courses quickly moved past it after golfers refused to post scores while using the raised cups.
The invention of the Cup Caddie and other methods was huge for the game of golf in 2020.
DBR & Golf
As GolfNewsRI reported earlier this month, Newport Indoor Golf was the first golf-related business to make any list regarding COVID-19 compliance since last October.
GolfNewsRI inquired about this to the Department of Business Regulations several weeks ago via an email exchange:
GolfNewsRI
The DBR has been updating the violations list for businesses and also the list of businesses that have followed protocols for a certain time frame.
For the last couple of months or so, there haven’t been any golf clubs or related businesses on either list and was just curious if there was a reason.
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DBR Director Elizabeth Tanner’s Response:
“At DBR, much of our resources are dedicated to working with businesses to help them come into compliance. The list of enforcements represent those who – despite our best efforts – did not come into compliance. A business’s absence from this list does not necessarily equate to a measure of its safety. We very much appreciate the efforts of Rhode Island’s business community during this difficult time, but the virus is still very much around us and we must continue to be vigilant in our battle for public health.”
It is important to note that GolfNewsRI was not implying any wrong-doing (or right-doing for that matter), by any club or industry participant.
The Department of Business Regulations publishes updated compliance lists and violations lists on a weekly basis and have been since the start of the pandemic – basically.
GolfNewsRI was simply inquiring about why no clubs or businesses were listed over a several month period.