COVID-19 and golf

[justsomeguy]

I'm sure that many golf courses in the area are wondering how to respond to the COVID-19 situation when they do open - in fact this could have an impact on their decision on when they actually open in the first place. I would not be surprised if many tournaments and clubhouse activities are cancelled and/or curtailed in the early part of the season. It seems that many courses in the US are already grappling with this situation.

Golfers who walk the course already engage in "social distancing" to some extent, but I can see where courses will be providing carts "per person" rather than "per twosome" and taking extra sanitary precautions with carts. Some courses may even suspend or curtail beverage cart services when they open and/or close or limit clubhouse activities.


There will be changes - of that I am certain. Any other thoughts?

[1800Duffers]

By the time local courses open, most of the scare should have passed. It seems that most closures will re-open April 5, in time for golf season.

[justdoit]

By the time local courses open, most of the scare should have passed. It seems that most closures will re-open April 5, in time for golf season.

we should be ok since we will be outdoors and not too close to people..the biggest concern is being inside malls..but will malls begin to close.My gym YMCA is still open but I am staying out of there for now..can't wait for golf,its only a few days and am bored,nhl reruns on tv and cancelled pga events is agonizing

[BARGEGOLF]

We will all rejoice if this is really over by April 5th...

[Johnyc]

By the time local courses open, most of the scare should have passed. It seems that most closures will re-open April 5, in time for golf season.

Wow, I wished I shared this level of optimism. I hope you’re right but personally I believe it’s going to get much worse before it gets better. Many people, especially our neighbours to the south, just aren’t taking social distancing seriously. It is going to take a real commitment and sacrifice from all of us to put this to bed sooner than later and without far greater fatalities.

[1800Duffers]

The initial scare will pass but the virus will still exist. The virus will run its course for those infected. Worldwide travel is causing the pandemic and governments are trying to lessen travel or eliminate it.

[jeffc]

I’m thinking golf courses will be one of the better places to be assuming you avoid the clubhouse, etc.

[justdoit]

My girlfriend's brother arrived in Toronto last night from Tokyo,no screening whatsoever.

[Johnyc]

My girlfriend's brother arrived in Toronto last night from Tokyo,no screening whatsoever.

Reckless and exactly why this won’t be resolved by April 5th.

[Chieflongtee]

Planes from China and Europe are still landing in MTL https://www.montreal-airport.com/yul...-arrival/CA879

[justdoit]

Planes from China and Europe are still landing in MTL https://www.montreal-airport.com/yul...-arrival/CA879

very poorly prepared..even though they said we were..lmao

[Maximus67]

As someone who works for a company that works directly with hospitals and medical specialists, I can tell you that they all confirm that activities like golfing, hiking, cycling, jogging, etc are all safe to continue doing. Our company has several staff*who have a Masters/PhD's in microbiology and pathology and they are keenly aware of the COVID-19 virus. They also have peers in the Ottawa labs and hospitals and have been getting firsthand accounts of what is being seen.

As an avid golfer, I asked them earlier last week about the risk level of going golfing later in April and what their opinion is. First of all, unanimously they all believe things in Ottawa (and North America at large) will get worse over the next month or so before things start to get better. By mid April when courses can and should be open, they believe that banning golf would not do anything substantial to stem this spread of this. Likewise, allowing people to go golf will not increase the risk at all especially if some minor adjustments are made such as closing the clubhouse bar, limiting the distance between customers and pro shop employees, limiting*cart use, etc.*
Aside from that, golf can and should continue on as normal and not be treated as a high risk activity the same way gyms and pick-up hockey are treated.*

I just hope our local and provincial governments look at golf with that same lens*and practical sense which may be a tall ask. From what I've been reading, courses have been closing across Europe and the US where they are being hit badly.*

[justdoit]

As someone who works for a company that works directly with hospitals and medical specialists, I can tell you that they all confirm that activities like golfing, hiking, cycling, jogging, etc are all safe to continue doing. Our company has several staff*who have a Masters/PhD's in microbiology and pathology and they are keenly aware of the COVID-19 virus. They also have peers in the Ottawa labs and hospitals and have been getting firsthand accounts of what is being seen.

As an avid golfer, I asked them earlier last week about the risk level of going golfing later in April and what their opinion is. First of all, unanimously they all believe things in Ottawa (and North America at large) will get worse over the next month or so before things start to get better. By mid April when courses can and should be open, they believe that banning golf would not do anything substantial to stem this spread of this. Likewise, allowing people to go golf will not increase the risk at all especially if some minor adjustments are made such as closing the clubhouse bar, limiting the distance between customers and pro shop employees, limiting*cart use, etc.*
Aside from that, golf can and should continue on as normal and not be treated as a high risk activity the same way gyms and pick-up hockey are treated.*

I just hope our local and provincial governments look at golf with that same lens*and practical sense which may be a tall ask. From what I've been reading, courses have been closing across Europe and the US where they are being hit badly.*

appreciate that info.
Well said

[justsomeguy]

As an avid golfer, I asked them earlier last week about the risk level of going golfing later in April and what their opinion is. First of all, unanimously they all believe things in Ottawa (and North America at large) will get worse over the next month or so before things start to get better. By mid April when courses can and should be open, they believe that banning golf would not do anything substantial to stem this spread of this. Likewise, allowing people to go golf will not increase the risk at all especially if some minor adjustments are made such as closing the clubhouse bar, limiting the distance between customers and pro shop employees, limiting*cart use, etc.*
Aside from that, golf can and should continue on as normal and not be treated as a high risk activity the same way gyms and pick-up hockey are treated.*

That's what I was thinking too. There WILL be changes for sure (especially with clubhouse activities), but most courses will be open. OTOH I can see a lot of tournaments being cancelled in May and early June if this plays out the way it has in other parts of the world.

[Johnyc]

As someone who works for a company that works directly with hospitals and medical specialists, I can tell you that they all confirm that activities like golfing, hiking, cycling, jogging, etc are all safe to continue doing. Our company has several staff*who have a Masters/PhD's in microbiology and pathology and they are keenly aware of the COVID-19 virus. They also have peers in the Ottawa labs and hospitals and have been getting firsthand accounts of what is being seen.

As an avid golfer, I asked them earlier last week about the risk level of going golfing later in April and what their opinion is. First of all, unanimously they all believe things in Ottawa (and North America at large) will get worse over the next month or so before things start to get better. By mid April when courses can and should be open, they believe that banning golf would not do anything substantial to stem this spread of this. Likewise, allowing people to go golf will not increase the risk at all especially if some minor adjustments are made such as closing the clubhouse bar, limiting the distance between customers and pro shop employees, limiting*cart use, etc.*
Aside from that, golf can and should continue on as normal and not be treated as a high risk activity the same way gyms and pick-up hockey are treated.*

I just hope our local and provincial governments look at golf with that same lens*and practical sense which may be a tall ask. From what I've been reading, courses have been closing across Europe and the US where they are being hit badly.*

Sounds reasonable based on the information we have today. But we don’t know where we will be in 4-6 weeks. We could be under a national quarantine. Nobody knows for sure. Safe to assume things are going to get worse, it’s only a matter of how bad. That will depend largely on how we respond right now. We need to protect ourselves and in the process protect our community. I want to golf as badly as anyone on this forum and I’ve already been paying my dues and want some ROI but it’s just too soon to say where we stand in mid April.

[justsomeguy]

Posted in a local golf magazine today:


The PGA of Canada – Ottawa Valley Zone has announced in correspondence to members that they are canceling their group activities planned for March 31. This is due to the current declared pandemic related to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Scheduled for that day, which was to take place at the Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, was the association’s Spring Meeting, Annual General Meeting, and Education Seminars.


At Metcalfe our Member's Meeting and Tournament is scheduled for April 19th. I know its a month away, but even if the course is open I would expect that these events will be cancelled in the next couple of weeks. Better to be safe than sorry.

[justsomeguy]

All GolfTown stores closed to the end of March. All ClubLink courses closed until May 1st. Numerous other golf course operators in Southern Ontario that normally would be opening now are closed until further notice.

OTOH there are courses in the US that are open (with restrictions and additional sanitary precautions). Not sure how the Ontario and Quebec restrictions on public gatherings apply to golf courses in this area, but I guess we'll find out in the next few weeks.

It won't be business as usual, that's for sure...

[jeffc]

Golf north just announced a number of courses will be opening tomorrow

[Johnyc]

All GolfTown stores closed to the end of March. All ClubLink courses closed until May 1st. Numerous other golf course operators in Southern Ontario that normally would be opening now are closed until further notice.

OTOH there are courses in the US that are open (with restrictions and additional sanitary precautions). Not sure how the Ontario and Quebec restrictions on public gatherings apply to golf courses in this area, but I guess we'll find out in the next few weeks.

It won't be business as usual, that's for sure...

Hunt Club is closed (all facilities) until the end of March.

[Chieflongtee]

Got this from Golf Kingsway:

Dear members,


We would like to confirm that all the necessary measures to protect our members, our customers, our friends, our guests and our staff have been put in place.

Hygiene prevention measures and disinfection of the premises will be our priorities in order to help minimize the risks of spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Be assure that we follow the directions recommended by the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as, the relevant provincial authorities.

We would also like to remind everyone that it is essential to follow certain individual instructions, including washing your hands frequently and covering your mouth if you sneeze or cough. In case of doubt about your state of health, contact the COVID-19 information center at 1-877-644-4545.

[Marcos]

Just use common sense and go out and play. We will beat this.

[justsomeguy]

It seems that courses that are open often have some combination of the following restrictions:

No tournaments or member meetings. Leagues may be postponed.
Clubhouse/restaurant closed, but cart service or takeout may be available.
Anyone who appears sick is not permitted on the course.
No carts, or perhaps carts for single use only (no extra charge for single use).
Booking either online or by phone only - no walk-ons. Online/phone payment is strongly encouraged.
Proshop closed for merchandise purchases.
Some clubs may only allow members on the course when they open.
No rakes in the bunkers, and ball washers may be removed.
Leaving the flagstick in when putting is strongly encouraged.

Every course will have their own their own approach, but don't be surprised if you see some of these rules in place at the start of the season. At least you get to play...

[jermart]

With proper precautions, distancing, no bar/restaurant openings, no rakes, leave pins in, no cart sharing etc, you would think golf can be a fairly safe activity. As stated earlier, we will see what happens globally, and locally that may impact more shutdowns.

Read a WHO report, that indicates modeling shows that peak events with respect to Covid-19, won't occur in NA until mid-May to mid-June. Now predictive models for the virus have much speculation and variables built in, so accuracy is difficult. Some good news is that manufacturing plants in China "may" be back to between 80 - 90% of pre-virus capacity. Who knows the accuracy of these figures.

It would be great to be out by mid-April. Man, I even bought a putting mat over the winter and hoped to put this practice to productive results in the next month.

[rpangman]

We are in Arizona. A few common sense requirements. Wash your hands often, leave the flagstick in, don't shake hands etc. A lot of doctors recommend golfing. Sunshine, fresh air and distancing. Makes sense.

[Marcos]

We are in Arizona. A few common sense requirements. Wash your hands often, leave the flagstick in, don't shake hands etc. A lot of doctors recommend golfing. Sunshine, fresh air and distancing. Makes sense.

Also a great de-stresser depending on your game lol. Enjoy while we wait for a few courses to open up here in the Ottawa valley

[spackler]

Just realized I posted in the Syracuse thread, should've posted here. Unfortunately courses in Quebec will not be allowed to open during Covid 19 crisis. https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/golf-clu...isis-1.4861697

[slash]

Got some friends who came back from Cuba yesterday at the Montreal airport and they still are not checking them for fever or anything. Just giving them info that they have to self isolate for 14 days.

[em69]

Got some friends who came back from Cuba yesterday at the Montreal airport and they still are not checking them for fever or anything. Just giving them info that they have to self isolate for 14 days.

Correct. We just flew into Montreal today from Florida. Same thing. Asked if we had a fever and handed me a 14 day self isolation paper. On our way we went.

[jermart]

Correct. We just flew into Montreal today from Florida. Same thing. Asked if we had a fever and handed me a 14 day self isolation paper. On our way we went.

This contrasts completely with what's occurring in S Korea. My neighbour returned to Ottawa 2 weeks ago, and stated that he had his temperature monitored on two separate occasions at the airport.
From what's being reported here and the US, people are just being asked about their situation. Possibly we don't have enough thermometers.

My wife is a nurse, and a patient, in initial screening, answered that they were not in a situation where they would have been potentially in contact with the virus. During the visit with one of her co-workers, the patient indicated that they had actually been tested at Brewers for Covid-19!! Thus potentially was in contact with an infected individual. Now that nurse is in isolation for 14 days, and one less front line worker to help the public. The point here, is that we need more involved screening. It's too easy to not tell all, or to forget.

[eez]

This is going to rankle some folks, but I think we have to keep the golf courses closed until COVID-19 is under control. I golfed 50 times last summer so I'm not saying this because I don't care about golf. In fact, the opposite. When golf courses open, I want to be able to go and enjoy golf with minimal restrictions. Opening a non-essential group facility during this pandemic is just adding to the problem, no matter how careful we think we are being. The other day Germany's infected numbers increased by nearly 3,000. If Canada's 2,400 golf courses open soon, how is it possible that this will NOT make the COVID situation worse?

I'm curious about everyone else's early golfing as for the last 3 years I've only golfed twice in April, and those were in the last week of April. Typically I've only golfed 2 or 3 times by mid-May. After that it really ramps up.

So my questions to everyone on the board are (just cut and paste the 3 questions and fill in your answers):
For last year
1/ Earliest start date -
2/ # of times golfing in April -
3/ # of times golfing by mid-May -

Let's be part of the solution, not the problem.