Allowing golf during COVID 19 - Best Practices

[NoGoal]

The new norm even after the coronavirus ends is maybe golf courses will no longer supplying rakes for bunkers. Maybe we should start carrying our own rakes in our golf bags. Instead of the wide rake heads we can get a narrow rake head and have the shaft extend and contract like ball retrievers. If our ball is in a foot print, because somebody didn’t have their own rake. Local rule could be lift, rake and place without a penalty stroke.

 

[BriMac]

Obvious one I did not see previously mentioned- no caddies. Also, I have seen some private clubs allow pull/push carts where previously it was only cart or caddie option.

 

[Phil75070]

The big advantage of that would be limiting the congregating around the check-in center and around the first tee in particular. Out on the course that actually has little impact as groups are pretty separated.

Our tee times are still 7-8 minutes apart, people are told to not check in until 10 minutes before their tee time, individual carts that have been cleaned and wiped down when returned are being used, social distancing is enforced, more pull/push carts are now available for anyone that prefers to walk. Anyone found two to a cart are being removed from the property, even husband/wife or two family members. Clubhouse, grill, rest rooms are all off limits. Even check in is outside.

Even though the course is wiping down carts I bring my own wipes with me and wipe down the steering wheel, dashboard, the GPS screen, the strap to hold my bag on the cart, the ball/club cleaner provided on the cart, the seat and anywhere else that I might tend to touch. My golf towel has a magnet and sticks to my clubs/bag and never touches the cart. I also have a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer that hangs from my bag as rest rooms are closed meaning you can't wash your hands between nines or after the round. So I use that hand sanitizer before I get in my car. Let me just add that there are no rakes, scorecards, pencils or sand bottles provided. I don't know if what they have put in the cups is cut from pool noodles but it looks like big slices of pineapple only allowing about an inch or so of depth (the pic is a little deceiving about depth - looks deeper than it really is as approaching the hole that ball was visibly sticking above the surface) :

 

[Luchnia]

Even though the course is wiping down carts I bring my own wipes with me and wipe down the steering wheel, dashboard, the GPS screen, the strap to hold my bag on the cart, the ball/club cleaner provided on the cart, the seat and anywhere else that I might tend to touch.

I see my local course is simply washing the carts with a water hose after they are returned for the day. Not that I really care much, but if I did I would not be satisfied with that. They simply don't have the personnel to take care of disinfecting the carts. They do limit one person per cart now, unless you are family or you choose to ride with someone that is on you.

I played at one course Saturday that two young boys with surgical gloves came right out to you after you finished unloading your gear from the cart and would take the carts and disinfect them. Not sure what they were using, but there seemed fairly meticulous in the routine.

 

[tahoebum]

Yeah, my wife can't understand why the golf courses are still open yet the gyms are closed. I tried to explain it to her & yeah that didn't work. Most of what she does is combat classes, so they pretty much have to be 6' apart. Of course there would be just as many people in the combat class as going to the grocery store.

They are touching door handles and inside a room together. Seasonal flu cases have spiked up again because people are inside more right now. Being outside in open spaces is always safer than being inside for the spreading of viruses. Now a combat class on the beach would be more equivalent to golfing but still more people in a smaller place.

 

[golfinnut]

Whilst the game itself can be managed so that we can avoid contact and transmission, I really think all the ancillary services and provisions deserve consideration.

Yesterday’s NY Times said that 240,000 Americans are expected to die from this before it is over. Surely this warrants a more prudent approach to our activity, if only for a few more weeks?

I miss playing as much as the next guy, but I feel I have a social responsibility to stay at home for now.

Examples of heightened risk situations as a result of keeping courses open:

- The extra gas you use travelling to the course means higher risk of exposure for you and your family, as you’ll possibly need to make more trips to the gas station to fill up. The pump, the door, the counter and cash register - all opportunities for surface transmission. The thing can survive on plastic or metal for 72 hours.

- Courses still require maintenance, which means bringing golf course employees out of their homes when they really don’t need to. They could inadvertently come into contact with the virus through surface or human contact on their way to, from or at work. We’re talking about risk mitigation here, and the safest thing for them is to be at home.

- It’s now been proven that the virus can survive on cardboard for 20 hours - even opening deliveries containing course maintenance materials puts green keepers (and their families) at risk.

This isn’t going to be a couple of weeks of disruption. This is going to run into the Summer, so to stay open courses will need to be maintained.

It’s just not worth it, no matter how beneficial the game is to the rest of us, to put others in harms way.

VA courses are still open. Possibly because our governor is a golfer himself so he feels for us being stuck inside.

What I've seen at courses around here:

• Online pay mostly. I had to swipe my own CC once.
• No tandem riding on carts .... but only if the course has enough carts to do so. One course wouldn't allow single riders because they would run out of carts too quickly with a full tee sheet. They were actually waiting for players to finish with their carts & directing them where to drop them off for cleaning, so they could go right back out.
• Flags in with noodle. You really don't touch the flag if you're careful & paying attention. Grant it, you may have more putts bounce off & not go in, but who cares. Having no flag in would slow down play that much more. Even though I think some people might play better if they only had yardage to the middle of the green & not taking the time to laser a particular target.
• No rakes ( use your foot ) .... simple enough. But you run into having bad lies for those that don't attempt to use their foot to smooth it out. I've ended up in multiple footprints but I just move it out. I'm not out to be playing official & posting a score these days, so who cares
• You can stager tee times a bit but the course isn't making as much revenue. But at least their open
• Bring your own sanitizer. I've seen a few courses have some in the Pro Shop.
• Bring sanitizing wipes so you can wipe down the cart yourself. That is if you're riding.
• Bring your own snacks, drinks ... so you're not tempted to go into the clubhouse anymore than you have to. I'm starting to bring a cooler whether they like it or not.

I never thought I would see something like this happen in my lifetime. But these are some trying times that we all have to go through, so we all need to do our part. I am grateful that the courses here in VA are still open, as I would have already gone postal if I didn't have anything else to do. Grant it, I could go down to the beach house & go fishing since I'm working from home & all I need is an internet connection.

 

[Phil75070]

Our course will not allow two people in a cart even if related. Too many instances where people see that and point it out as a reason for them to share a cart without understanding the circumstances. What they allow is for two bags to be on a cart but only one rider at a time. I really don't see how that prevents the spread of the virus. If while marshalling the course they see tow in a cart at the same time they are asked to leave the property.

 

[stevie-a]

Beautiful morning in DFW today...was nice to get out in the fresh air!

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[dacatalyst41]

Even though the course is wiping down carts I bring my own wipes with me and wipe down the steering wheel, dashboard, the GPS screen, the strap to hold my bag on the cart, the ball/club cleaner provided on the cart, the seat and anywhere else that I might tend to touch. My golf towel has a magnet and sticks to my clubs/bag and never touches the cart. I also have a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer that hangs from my bag as rest rooms are closed meaning you can't wash your hands between nines or after the round. So I use that hand sanitizer before I get in my car. Let me just add that there are no rakes, scorecards, pencils or sand bottles provided. I don't know if what they have put in the cups is cut from pool noodles but it looks like big slices of pineapple only allowing about an inch or so of depth (the pic is a little deceiving about depth - looks deeper than it really is as approaching the hole that ball was visibly sticking above the surface) :

View attachment 8934760

I like a lot of these ideas and I’d follow suit. I love the creativity we’re seeing in response to these pandemic limitations...including ones like the one pictured here.

 

[redneckwop]

They are touching door handles and inside a room together. Seasonal flu cases have spiked up again because people are inside more right now. Being outside in open spaces is always safer than being inside for the spreading of viruses. Now a combat class on the beach would be more equivalent to golfing but still more people in a smaller place.

I understand that, but remember some women see things different then us. She doesn't golf, so she doesn't quite understand the difference.