Golf May Be The ‘Bright Side Benefactor’ Of COVID-19 Outbreak
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2020-03-19
By GORD MONTGOMERY, Inside Golf
SPRUCE GROVE, Alberta — While COVID-19 continues to run rampant throughout much of the world, shutting down professional sports creating panic buying among everyday citizens, there is perhaps one bright spot in all of this: The fact that maybe, just maybe, the virus will be beneficial for the game of amateur golf.
Now we’re not saying the novel coronavirus is a good thing. It’s not, by any stretch. But there is the hard and true fact that golf can be a solitary sport and as such, one doesn’t have to give up the game to stay away from germs. In fact, recreationally-wise, golf may be the safest physical activity, other than a walk or working out at home by yourself — one can do.
You see, on a golf course you’re out on your own, chasing your own ball that no one else needs to handle. No one else uses your clubs. No one else carries your bag. No one even has to touch the flagstick anymore. And even more to the point, the “social distancing” one is supposed to adhere to — at least two metres — is easy to uphold on the golf course.
When asked his thoughts about golf and the social distancing aspect the game allows, Phil Berube, the executive director of Alberta Golf, allowed that was true. “Yeah, it’s kind of like a walk in the park,” he said of not needing to be close to anyone while enjoying the outdoors and the sport.
In agreement with that was the executive professional at the Stony Plain Golf Course, Jeff Cuthbertson. He feels that maybe, just maybe, this affliction might be the boost golf needs to get back into the public’s mindset.
“In general, day in and day out with just regular golf, I’m not sure where you’re going to be able to get recreation, do something you like, in an open area. I think with golf, maybe, that’s something we may be fortunate with,” as indoor recreational facilities begin to shutter their doors. “With golf, you’ve got 150 acres with a couple hundred people over the course of a day. Lots of open space, lots of open air. I think golf, if we’re lucky, might be one of the things people go to, to get their recreation if they can’t go to the gym, the club, the rink, that sort of thing. Maybe golf will be okay.”
While some golf people had hope, others were taking a more cautious approach to what has been happening across the country.
In Calgary, Greg Griffith, the head pro at Fox Hollow GC, wasn’t too sure what the public’s reaction, or that of golf courses, would be as the virus worsened in Alberta.
“I think it’s a pretty scary thing. It’s a disease that is affecting seniors, the senior environment, so I really don’t see this being a good thing for anything,” he commented.
At present, like many other places, Fox Hollow offers hand sanitizer to customers. “We are actively wiping stuff down. We’re taking all the safety precautions we can,” but they, like other courses across Western Canada wait with bated breath to see what transpires in the future.
Robert Rousselle, the executive director of the PGA of Alberta, was taking a cautious approach to how he answered the question of what this ailment could mean for the game of golf and how he would direct his association’s members in their handling of everyday activities. Rousselle cancelled the annual Consumer Golf Shows in both Calgary and Edmonton shortly after this interview took place.
“It’s hard to say. I think it’s going to be up to every club how they look at it. It’s changing so rapidly every day. It’s very, very hard to comment on that.”
Asked if the PGA of Alberta had, or would put stipulations in place for member clubs to follow in using sanitary safety measures, Russell explained: “It’s actually a mandate that I’ve asked PGA of Canada to do. It falls more under PGA of Canada to supply information to all our members so it’s the same strategy, the same message across the country,” he ended.
Golf Is One Of The Safest Recreational Activities One Can Undertake Seeing As How No One Else Touches Your Equipment And It's Relatively Easy To Maintain Social Distancing.
Speaking to whether this rapidly spreading virus is perhaps a boon for golf, Cuthbertson noted, “I think that’s a fair comment. When you have something like this people tend to stay closer to home. They don’t travel. When they stay closer to home they look to do things in their own backyard, at the recreational activities available. Because of that, I think this has the potential to be a positive for us as an industry.”
As to how this would affect Alberta Golf’s competitive season going forward, Berube said it was just a wait and see scenario right now. After all, their tournament season is still two months away. And of course, at this time, all the golf courses in Alberta are under snow with opening day several weeks away, at a minimum. Thus, everything right now is being based on the supposition that COVID-19 is still active as the new golf season arrives.
In British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, where the season never ends and golfers continue to tee it up, it appears different clubs are taking different routes in respect to what’s taking place. At the Eagle Quest Golf Centre in Coquitlam, GM/Director of Golf Luke McKenzie explained that some public courses in the greater-Vancouver area had shut down totally while private clubs were limiting tee times to members only, and some sending players out in twosomes so as to not overload the public spaces after rounds were completed.
As for his course, McKenzie explained that things were still going full-tilt and their phones were ringing as people looked for a tee time. He noted that he’d seen other illnesses come and go over the years but hadn’t witnessed anything like this pandemic.
“So really, it’s a learning curve for me and the other GM’s at our properties. Basically it’s a day-by-day scenario,” he stated.
“As far as here, we’ve cancelled all meeting room events. We are running junior camps though. We have 25 kids and three coaches, so there’s only eight per group. They’re all at different stations so it’s spread out quite well. We are taking all the precautions as far as distance, cleanliness. We keep a clean facility but now we’re doing it more often,” he noted of staff wiping down such things as rental clubs when they’re returned, ball machines and other public-accessible facilities at his course. “We are constantly cleaning. That’s not only for the safety of the staff but also to make customers feel comfortable and safe.”
And apparently that’s working well.
“People are still calling for tee times. ‘Are you guys open?’ Yep, we’re still operating. People are still coming and hitting balls. It’s a tough one and I’m kind of going day-by-day, but people need things to do during this time to keep their minds off what is happening. If you exercise the (safety) protocol that’s out there, everybody will be safe and sound.”
As to how he sees this health turmoil affecting the golf world, McKenzie feels that this could be a catalyst to bring the game back to the numbers seen in the recent past.
“One hundred percent. I think it’s going to introduce more people to the game and bring those that haven’t had the time to play the game back to the game. The situation we’re in, we’re in lockdown. You can’t do other sports, other activities. This is a great opportunity, a marketing opportunity for the golf business to introduce people to the game, get them out on the golf course. Golf is a sport for people to get out, get active. This could be a huge opportunity for our industry to get back to where it should be. I hope now that more parents bring their kids out because they can’t go to soccer, so ‘Hey! Why don’t we give golf a try?’ ”
So while COVID-19 continues to run its course throughout the world, it appears that golf may be the one sport that while remaining a social activity is one that adheres to the social distancing rules now in place in order to minimize the spread of the virus. Of course, only time will tell how this all plays out, but for now, golf looks to be the answer to recreational activities …. unless of course you like going for a walk without clubs or lifting weights on your own at home.