Ontario’s We Are Golf: Key Updates on Face Masks in Carts

Update from Ontario’s We Are Golf partners

Key Updates on Face Masks in Carts

The one new regulation that has been written concerns carts and masks. This clause is in the regulation links above for all five colour coded regions. Specifically, it states:

Any person, including a person who performs work at the amenity, while driving or riding on an open-air vehicle within the amenity, must wear a mask or face covering in a manner that covers their mouth, nose and chin, unless,

1. the person driving or riding on the vehicle is entitled to any of the {following exceptions}:

is a child who is younger than two years of age,
has a medical condition that inhibits their ability to wear a mask or face covering,
is unable to put on or remove their mask or face covering without the assistance of another person,
needs to temporarily remove their mask or face covering as may be necessary for the purposes of health and safety,
is being accommodated in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005,
is being reasonably accommodated in accordance with the Human Rights Code.

2. all persons driving or riding on the vehicle are members of a single household.

We have been speaking with high-ranking Ontario government officials, and they are unable to provide written confirmation of the exact interpretation of this regulation. As well, one of our facilities in the Windsor Essex region was in contact with their local PHU officials. While we do not have firm written guidance, it is our understanding that the cart rules for the 2021 golf season should be as follows:

All persons driving or riding on the vehicle who are members of the same household, are not required to wear masks.

Further to this, a solo rider is therefore also not required to wear a mask.

Two people driving or riding together on the vehicle who are not from the same household are required to wear a mask.

This direction on masks supersedes any previous direction on cart dividers. You are certainly free to continue to use cart dividers if your facility would prefer, but use of divider is not required, and does not negate the need for masks for two or more riders in the same cart from different households.

Here is a link to the NGCOA Canada’s Signage Templates which now includes the Face Masks Required in Carts sign as well as a Cart Sign option for your course.

It was also indicated that authority for interpretation of this falls with the local PHU so if you are uncertain in your region, please reach out to your local PHU inspector/official.

COVID-19 continues to be a challenging virus, resulting in ever-changing direction and guidance for us all. We encourage you to check back on these links regularly and if you have questions, reach out to your local PHU for clarity immediately.

We look forward to working together with all of you to build on the momentum from 2020 to have another fantastic year in 2021.

Yours in golf,