Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon looks set to spoil the hopes of all Scottish golfers and delay a return to playing golf.

This news comes after the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson is set to address the nation at 7pm on Sunday night and in a speech where he is believed to announce a relaxation of lock-down measures.

The measures will include the re-opening of golf clubs across the UK and Northern Ireland but with the UK to follow Ireland by introducing distancing rules meaning those living within five miles of their club at first being allowed to return golf and to be followed weeks later by extendind the restriction boundary to 10 miles.

However, Sturgeon indicated the lock-down must be extended and any such relaxation of the now six-week long lockdown to be “very, very risky”.

Speaking to Bunkered magazine, A Scottish Golf spokesperson said: “We continue to be in direct and regular contact with the Scottish Government and remain in the planning phase for a return to golf.

“Scottish Golf will be guided by the Scottish Government on golf’s return while also remaining in close contact with all of our partners from across the golf industry in Great Britain and Ireland.”

Crail Golfing Society, Jim McArthur and also a former Chairman of the R & As Championship Committee that oversees the running of the Open Championship, indicated the measures in place at golf’s seventh oldest club when the green lihgt is given to the some 550 Scottish clubs.

“From an administration viewpoint Crail have prepared a draft document entitled ” Re-opening of Golf at Crail Golfing Society under the current COVID-19 Restrictions” which is based on the current Government directives relating to Social Distancing, sanitisation and cleaning,” said McArthur.

“It also includes information and advice we have received from Scottish Golf and other golfing bodies plus fellow clubs around the world, the club’s Management Committee and staff.

“The intention is that the document would be finalised/tweaked when we get the go ahead to re-open, adjusted if required in line with Government and Scottish Golf updates and issued to staff and members for information and compliance.

“From a golf course viewpoint both courses, Balcomie Links and Craighead Links, are in very good condition and will not take much to get them into their normal excellent condition.

“All we would need is a few days, I understand. This has been helped greatly by the good weather and in the case of Balcomie Links the recently installed new Irrigation system is proving a good investment for the club and has been used regularly due to the dry fine weather.”

Crail has a full-time team of 14 green staff with five working the past six weeks on a roster basis under the Government’s ‘essential staff’ guidelines.

McArthur added:  “We recognise that “slow and safe” is likely to be the order of the day, changes to the normal golfing experience will apply, the social side of golf will be outside on the course rather than inside in the clubhouse or pro shop, adjustments to property and procedures will be required to protect staff and members will be required amongst many other things.

“Most important thing is that we all need to realise that we have a personal/individual responsibility to protect ourselves, staff and fellow members and to demonstrate clearly compliance with particularly social distancing and other Government restrictions and guidelines or the gates will be shut again and we will lose the opportunity to play the game we love.

“We all have a clear Duty of Care to ensure that we can keep playing for health, wellbeing and economic reasons.”