Golf In The Age Of COVID-19
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2020-04-11
By JEFF SUTHERLAND, Inside Golf
To say these are unprecedented times applies just as much to golf as to anything else...
A CONFUSING LANDSCAPE
As I write this piece, golfers are teeing it up at more than a few courses across BC's Lower Mainland while others are completely shuttered. Golfers in Ontario are cutting through chain-link fences to sneak on courses with the police being called. Local governments are disallowing play while their provincial counterparts remain surprisingly mute on the subject. To say the rules are inconsistent would be a major understatement.
THE REGIONAL ASPECT TO THE OUTBREAK
It appears the situation is different in different parts of the country. The curve in BC appears to have flattened with no new cases on Vancouver Island (as of April 9th) and only 25 across the rest of the province. Alberta has the same number of new cases and also appears headed in the right direction. Ontario and Quebec are a different story and the serious challenges they face will likely persist for at least weeks, if not months.
THE ECONOMIC SITUATION
There is a limit to how long the federal government can send cheques before we will need to see businesses running and everyone back working... June 1st to July 1st seem to be dates commonly being referenced. But with the differences between provinces, the return to work may occur earlier in some regions than others. It will also likely be different for different industries.
A NEW NORMAL IS COMING
Whenever this return to work takes place, one change is guaranteed. Until we have a vaccine, physical distancing will need to continue. Restaurants will need to adapt with seating that is well separated. People in lines will need to keep two metres apart. And golf courses will have to follow the new guidelines (e.g. no ball washers, shallow cups, no rakes in bunkers, etc.) with golfers falling in line following physical distancing rules.
THE QUESTION OF WHEN
While predicting when it will be absolutely safe to golf may be hard, some observations can be made:
#1 - If the regional differences in the number of new cases persist, that return to golfing need not be simultaneous across the country.
#2 - If not now, then when? If it is not ok to golf now, what change in conditions would make it more ok? Zero new cases? Only ten new cases? Over what length of time? This may be a policy question but one that bears asking earlier rather than later.
THE HEALTH BENEFITS
In March, BC's provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry encouraged people to go outside in small family groups saying, “It is important for us to keep our health and mental health going as well through this.” Walking and biking would conform. Golf being played among friends as well as just family members increases the risk but only marginally.
THE OPTICS
Golf is not that well understood among the general population. Not everyone gets golf and understands how well it could function under current conditions. This lack of understanding certainly does not help in making the case for opening the courses. The silence at the provincial level may simply be government, while understanding its value, not wanting to be seen as promoting or exempting a single outdoor activity / business even though they know it is uniquely positioned to be workable.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
I believe this is an opportunity for golf. A public campaign that talks about safety, health benefits and a return to economic activity that golf can provide would be a timely message, even if only in BC and Alberta. All courses would need to adhere to the already well-defined set of guidelines. Golfers would need to be educated on, and reminded of, their responsibilities but fundamentally those responsibilities would be no different than those related to going for a walk in a park.
Bottom line, where do we go from here? In my opinion, for those living in Alberta and BC... to the golf courses.
About the Author
Jeff Sutherland has been a golf journalist as well as publisher and president of golf media company, Inside Golf Inc. for the past 27 years. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..