Parliament confirmed today that golf courses will NOT be exempt from the closure of all non-essential leisure facilities.

Today, the government thoroughly dismissed any pleas for golf courses to remain open during the four-week national lockdown, due to begin on Thursday November 5.

Many of us were hopeful that a petition to keep golf courses open (with over 255,000 signatures) plus a "hard challenge" from England Golf would cause Parliament to rethink closing them, but sadly that is not the case.

According to The Mail, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official spokesperson has said there are no plans to exempt either golf or tennis from the blanket closures.

Although we are still being encouraged to exercise outdoors with our household, or one-on-one with a person from a different household, golf courses will not be exempt from the new regulations.

'It's not the intention for tennis courts or for golf courses to remain open,' said the spokesperson.

"People are able to use public spaces or walk or run in the park. The purpose of the tougher regulations, which I expect are going to be difficult for very many people, are to significantly reduce social contact."

As well as many in the golf industry, several MPs have also criticised the decision to close outdoor activities like golf and tennis.

Speaking to Radio 4's the Today programme, Julian Knight, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee, addressed how the golf industry had made great sacrifices to adapt their venues and keep people safe.

"A blanket ban is not the correct way of going about things," he said.

"Perhaps there needs to be some reflection on the work that was done in the spring by these institutions. 

'I know one golf club for instance that spent £5,000 on sanitising, I know another one that tested staff at a cost of £400 a week.

"Don't forget many of these courses are related to hotels and there they have had a real problem haven't they, because they have been unable to really open at any sort of capacity for most of the pandemic."

This will certainly come as a huge blow to golf clubs across the country.

Watch this space for more updates as they develop.