Water coolers, ball washers, and coolers on the cart. Does your course have them?

[WLG1952]

They nomally have water coolers, ball washers, and bunker rakes. However, with this covid thing going on, those items are moth balled till further notice.

 

[Snowman]

We lost our water coolers on the course many years ago in Canada as the result of a couple of guys not doing their jobs at a water treatment plant. A lot of people got sick, a bunch died and the rest of us lost the privilege of having access to water as a result. So nothing really changed due to Covid for us in that regard.

The ball washers disappeared, but honestly I would have a hard time to remember the last time I ever used one. Between my wet towel or a bit of saliva the golf ball remains clean. Again, no real difference for me.

Rakes in bunkers - again, being the first group out in the morning usually means that our traps haven't been raked. We always lived by the "lift, rake and place" rule, so now we just use our feet to flatten the sand. I do wish other golfers would remember to push some sand around with their feet AFTER they've hit their shots, but I digress. These people probably don't repair their ball marks either.

The only difference the absence of rakes makes in our bunkers is that there aren't rakes there. Most people never used them anyway, our bunkers have always looked like a platoon of infantrymen marched through them.

 

[fuffle master]

None of the courses I play have ball washers or coolers on the cart. We do have water coolers out on the course usually, but not since Covid.

The course frowns on bringing water coolers with you on the carts, but most do anyway.

 

[Maric]

Still no water, coolers, rakes on any of the courses I've played recently. Some courses have put sand bottles back in the carts (they are cleaned between rounds). I know of one course that never changed anything with ball washers during Covid.

 

[Sox_Fan]

My course put ball washers out a couple of months ago but still no water coolers. I don't use the ball washers because frankly I don't trust a lot of people and their very flippant attitude toward Covid. I bought a sleeve type thing this past summer that you wet the inside of before playing (called Ball Brite) that I use to clean my golf balls.

 

[YukonLiving]

We're closed for the season, but as of October out status was:

- Individual coolers for power carts available at clubhouse
- Beverage cart made regular rounds
- Garbage cans removed from one course, but remained at the other. (This included recycling bins)
- Ball washers all taped off (no access)
- No rakes or sand/seed mix
- Neither course had water on course

I walk 99% of my rounds, and of these I miss the ball washer most. I'm fine carting my garbage/recycling out, and our bunkers are so hard the rakes didn't do much anyhow.

I might have to find a personal ball washing solution for next year if this keeps up.

 

[Jimmy3864]

My home course hasn’t had water coolers on course for over 10 years, sure miss those but doubt they will ever return.

For 2020 we never had ball washers, rakes and garbage cans although the latter were added back later in the year. Not sure how 2021will look like but based on our Covid situation, I expect same as 2020.

 

[fuffle master]

I do think many things like water colors on the golf course are the probably going to be a long term bye bye due to covid.

 

[blugold]

Watercoolers = no (gross)
Ball washers = precovid yes
Coolers on the cart = no

 

[Nappy]

My course put the ball washers back about halfway through the year. They provided small things of hand sanitizer to those that wanted it at the clubhouse. Same with rakes those came back about midway through. I do think they got rid of the water coolers this past year. We've never had drink coolers on the carts.

I think a lot of golf courses were left in a tough spot with little direction on what they were allowed to do. I know my course owner was contacting the local sheriffs dept weekly just make sure he was in compliance. The sheriff basically told him they didn't care what they did and wouldn't enforce anything, but still he wanted to do the best he could to keep everyone safe.

It does all seem like a bit much, but I don't know if anyone really knows what is right or wrong in this situation unfortunately.

 

[golfinnut]

At least your sand bottles don't look like this

 

[jmix18]

No coolers (been gone for a couple of years), no ball washers or rakes since the spring. I've always carried a wet towel so i never used the ball washer.

 

[jdtox]

I have no problem with any of that. I usually bring my own water or gatorade anyway. Funny how many never thought of those things as unsanitary before Covid

 

[CobraX51]

I'd say it changes from course to course. Starting to notice more of the golf ball washers being available for use. But not many water coolers. I gotta be pretty desperate to use the water cooler. I am pretty well stocked on water before the round and if I run out I'm sure I'm close enough to the turn to make sure I have enough for the remainder of the round.

1 Large Gatorade. 3 Bottles of Water. That is plenty.

 

[lazychicken]

We have ball washers and water jugs back on the course, and coolers and sand bottles back on carts. Rakes are back in the bunkers, and you can remove the flag if you want to. I'm trying to think if they brought back the ice coolers on the course or not. I can think of one that is missing, but I think the others are in place. We didn't have a lot of those to begin with. But yeah, basically everything is pretty much back to how it was in 2019, except the cart barn guys do a much more thorough job cleaning the carts between uses.

Other courses I play around the area still have a lot of those items missing though. I'm honestly okay with however they want to do it, but in the warm climates like ours they probably should post signs saying there's no water on the course. And maybe increase cart service a bit on the warmer days. It really can be a health issue.

 

[GenErr]

Our course has always banned coolers, but since Covid, no one says anything when you bring them. Drinking water is not available on the course, nor are ball washers.

 

[Annhl8rX]

None of the courses around me have water coolers or ball washers on the course. The few that ever had coolers on the carts still do. Rakes are hit or miss (I’d love to see them go for good). Most have gone away from the noodle in the cup, but still say to keep the flag in. If it was totally up to me the flag would never leave the cup anyway.

 

[SHIFTY]

My course removed water coolers on the course about a dozen years ago. I really can't think of any that offer that, and why would you if you sell drinks. Can buy at clubhouse (water is cheap), or if you are cheap, you could bring your own, or fill a bottle in the washroom I guess. Just no outside alcohol allowed. As Canadians like to drink, usually see the cart girl every 3-4 holes, so no worry of not having access. Only place I see water in coolers or coolers full of water is in the states.

As for ball washers, we have lots of them, just none in use as per covid guidelines.

For coolers, you make your order at the clubhouse, and get it in a cooler with an ice pack.

 

[Junkyard]

At least your sand bottles don't look like this

We have two par threes at my home course that could really use some of that divot mix. They switched to only providing sand about 4 years ago, roughly when they opened the new tee, and it's pretty much reached the point where it is 80% sand and 10% grass. Last time I checked sand doesn't sprout grass - you need seed to do that.

 

[Deezballs]

The bulk of the courses I play have never had ball washers, coolers etc. On the carts. I do miss the ball washers at each tee. Other than that I carry water and coffee so I don’t miss those.

 

[Duffer Waldorf]

I think we have access to the ice maker again, but the water jug they used to keep next to it is no longer there. The jugs on the course aren't out there anymore, either. I just refill my water bottle in the bathroom sinks on course if I need to.

Ball washers are still missing, but I never used them.

Cart coolers are a pipe dream.

 

[KEV]

Our course was pretty much completely back to normal. Everything was back out on the course, we pulled pins and outside of tables being spaced apart a bit the dining was back to normal.

 

[Bernoulli]

No ball washers or water coolers on the course.

 

[Architex]

I got the same email from CBIGG.


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[greekelite]

I'm lucky if the cart i get doesn't have cigarette burns or even large chunks of foam missing from it..

Even the water supply isn't coolers every x holes, its like a fountain/faucet with God knows what kind of pipes haha I always be sure to bring extra water and Gatorade on hot days