We’re committed to tackling doping and promoting the World Anti-Doping Code.
Our anti-doping programme helps us maintain the integrity of golf and protect the health and rights of players.
England Golf are committed to complying with the National Anti-Doping Policy set out by UK Anti-Doping (“UKAD”) – the national anti-doping authority in the UK.
England Golf’s Anti-Doping Rules
All members of England Golf, and all participants, including non-playing support personnel such as coaches and managers, in the sport of golf are bound by England Golf’s Anti-Doping rules and regulations.
England Golf has directly adopted the UK Anti-Doping Rules, which can be viewed and downloaded here. England Golf has a responsibility to enforce these anti-doping rules throughout the sport of amateur golf in England.
The UKAD Anti-Doping Rules themselves are based on the World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”) World Anti-Doping Code (“The Code”).
The Code applies at all levels of golf for women, girls, men and boys. This includes players in our performance programmes, competitors in our championships and events, and club golfers.
Broadly speaking, the rules prohibit the use, possession, and trafficking of all performance enhancing and non-performance enhancing drugs that are set out in the WADA Prohibited List.
Breaking the anti-doping rules can result in a ban from all sport. The Code outlines the Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). Athletes and athlete support personnel need to make sure they are fully aware of these violations, and the consequences of breaking them. For more information and what this means for those individuals, click here. For information on individuals serving a ban from sport, visit UKAD’s sanction page on their website.
Myths and Facts on Anti-Doping
Anti-doping rules apply to all levels of sport, spanning professional golf, elite amateur golf, club competition golf and even non-competitive social golf. To help you recognise some of the myths and facts on anti-doping we’ve created this useful information sheet.
Learn more
Nutritional Supplements
Nutritional supplements are increasingly popular in golf. There are many products designed to help sportspersons enhance their performance through nutritional aids such as vitamin pills, protein powders, and snacks.
Whilst supplements may claim to be ‘safe’ ‘legal’ and ‘WADA compliant’ or ‘WADA approved’ athletes should take extreme caution when using any nutritional supplements as this is no guarantee that they do not contain prohibited substances.
Contaminated nutritional supplements are common, and have led to a number of high profile anti-doping rule violations in recent years.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, has offered guidance to athletes in cases throughout recent years on the levels of research and testing that athletes are expected to conduct before taking nutritional supplements.
The following real-life examples of anti-doping rule violations committed by elite and professional athletes demonstrate the level of caution that athletes are expected to exercise. Anti-doping rule violations have recently arisen from:
• Ingesting traces of a colourless, tasteless, odourless substance left in a seemingly empty used glass which the athlete later drank from.
• Ingesting a prohibited substance from a contaminated nutritional supplement, even after testing a number of different batches of the supplements.
UKAD always advises a food first approach to nutrition, as there are no guarantees that any supplement product is free from prohibited substances. Athletes can support their training and progress towards their targets by eating and enjoying nutritious food
With a bit of planning, it is possible to eat a delicious and healthy diet made up of a variety of food types at the right time, and in the right quantities. Athletes should assess the need, the risks and the consequences before deciding to take a supplement, and if they need to use one, visit the Informed Sport website to check whether supplements have been batch-tested.
More advice on managing supplement risks can be found on UKAD’s Supplement Hub here.
Anti-Doping regulations
Checking Medications
Before taking any medication (whether from a doctor or purchased over the counter), athletes must check to make sure it doesn’t contain any prohibited substances.
Medications (ingredients or brand name) can be checked online at Global DRO.
It is important to note that medications bought in one country may contain different ingredients to the same branded medication in another country.
For more information on checking medications, visit UKAD’s website here.
Applying for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)
If an athlete with a legitimate medical condition needs to use a prohibited substance or method, they will need to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).
This is only accepted if there are no other suitable permitted medications or treatments that can be used, and there is a strict, detailed process to determine this.
Athletes can find out more information about the TUE process on the UKAD website and use the TUE Wizard to find out whether they need to apply for a TUE and who to submit their application to.
What happens in a test
Athletes should feel prepared and know their rights and responsibilities when they are notified to be tested by a Chaperone or Doping Control Officer.
Information on the testing process can be found on the UKAD website.
Find out more
England Golf publishes information about our Anti-Doping activities annually. You can find our latest summary here.
If you’d like more information about anti-doping, the following links may be useful:
If you’ve got a question about anti-doping, contact compliance@englandgolf.org.
Protecting clean sport depends on everyone playing their part - athletes, coaches, or parents - whether on centre stage or behind the scenes. Speak out if you feel there’s something wrong - no matter how small. UKAD guarantee that your identity will always be kept 100% confidential.
There are different ways to speak out:
• Email - When you feel something’s wrong, send an email. UKAD guarantee that your name and email address will be kept confidential. Email at protectyoursport@reportdoping.com.
• Online Form - Tell us what you know via our online form on protectyoursport.co.uk. You will remain anonymous as standard, but if you choose to share your details confidentially it could help us catch those in sport who seek to cheat
• 24/7 Hotline - Call on 08000 32 23 32. We are here to listen. If you prefer to remain 100% anonymous you can. Or if you share your details, they will be kept confidential, and may help keep sport clean