COVID-19 and tournaments (MOD EDIT: NO CORONAVIRUS DISCUSSIONS. KEEP RESPONSES ON TOPIC)

[tiger1873]

It looks like HJGT May be starting back up next week

 

Dear Players & Parents:

 

It is our commitment to keep you updated on all things relating to the HJGT, including our events that will be resuming operation starting March 28th-29th.  We think it’s important for you all to know that we are monitoring the news and staying abreast of the changing developments with everything happening around the country. We understand the uncertainty surrounding many things in our ever changing environment, and we want you to know that we will continue as best as we can, for as long as we can, to be able to provide some semblance of normalcy to our players through participation in our tournaments. We are working with every resource we can and all of our courses to be able to run as many of our events as possible. We will be continuously monitoring the situation and we will provide updates as we have them.

 

Effective immediately, and until further notice, we will be implementing the following protocols and procedural changes at each event. While we understand some of these may not be ideal, we will evaluate them daily and send out updates and additions as needed.

 Starting immediately:

- Hand Sanitizer, Disinfectant Wipes, and Rubber Gloves will be provided based on availability.

- All phones/scoring devices will be wiped down prior to and after each round.

- All flagsticks are to remain in the hole at all times. If you need to remove the flagstick, use a glove.

- Players are not to be shuttled or ride in any carts

- Spectator carts will not be allowed unless approved documentation is provided.

- It is recommended that all range and/or practice facility time be limited in order to minimize close contact and touching of driving range balls by multiple people.

- Players are to use gloves when handling all bunker rakes.

- Players are to remain a distance of at least 6 feet away from other players when on the course.

- Players are not to shake hands at the completion of a round.

- Players will not sign each other’s scorecards upon agreeing on scores. Players will only handle their own scoring device.

- Only one group will be allowed in the scoring area at a time.

- Players in the scoring area will stand at least 6 feet apart.

- All awards will be wiped down prior to players receiving them.

- All awards ceremonies will be limited to only the players receiving them.

- No tee’s or Kind Bars will be given out at the registration tent.

- No coolers or water will be set up throughout the course, please bring your own water.

 

In the event that you no longer wish to participate, for any reason, please email us at [email protected] and let us know as soon as possible so we can make the proper adjustments. Due to the circumstances, we have amended our Tour Credit policy so that you may withdraw from an event anytime up to 72 hours prior and get a full tour credit. Again, we understand the hesitations that some people have, so we want to do everything we can to help and we want to be able to provide events for as many kids as are comfortable playing.

 We will continue to provide updates as we have them. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Hurricane Junior Golf [email protected] Policy

 

[Noles]

The New Jersey Governor just gave a stay home order so I doubt the event in New Jersey next weekend is going to happen.

[leezer99]

Cooperstown cancelled.

[tiger1873]

It looks like HJGT cancelled for the week of the 28th. They are now saying April 5 which I expect to be cancelled unless we see things start to open.

They are closing everything here in south Florida including the ability of instructors to give lessons. A lot golf course are closed and a few remain open but I expect them to be closed shortly.

to me it looks like June is the earliest we will be doing tournaments.

 

[leezer99]

You really think that soon? Without a vaccine in place I'm not so sure about June. Since yesterday the infection count has gone up over 8,000 people and 112 deaths. We went from 6th in the world to 3rd in active cases overnight. I think we'll be lucky to play tournament golf again this year.

[tiger1873]

Yes because if we do not have tournaments in June there will not be many junior tournaments to play in and fields will extremely small by then.

Most tours can not survive that sort of shutdown financially and people will not have money to keep them going.

also do you really think everything will be shutdown until a vaccine is available. If we wait that long 80-90% of the country will be unemployed.

 

[wildcatden]

Yes, the for profit tours would shutdown. Good. Non-profit tours in my area like JGANC would thrive. Great.

 

[Medson]

The fact is nobody knows. If you look at China, they are talking about when and how to resume certain activities, including sports. (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-basketball-china/basketball-americans-return-as-chinese-league-eyes-resumption-idUSKBN21804N) China began to take measures against virus in mid Jan. If you draw a simple parallel line (I know, nothing is that simple), we are probably looking at June-ish restart time for selective sports. Golf, esp. local golf tournament, could be one of the earlier sports to resume.

Anyway, I think it is pointless to argue when to resume any sports now.

[mrshinsa]

It's tough to compare China to US. China and Korea practiced complete lockdown, and most people followed orders. Here in the US, things are very loose with "shelter in place" and "essential business"...

[tiger1873]

I am not sure a lot non profit tours can survive either they rely on donations and sponsors to exist. The end result is we will be seeing less junior tournaments. How many kids are going to not come back to the sport to give it up. I think that is bigger question.

Those of you with boys will still have a decent field when it is all said and done but those of us with Girls stand a very good chance not being able to play in many competitive events even at the state level.

[darter79]

My theory is this. Once warmer months happen the virus won't spread as rapidly but then I believe a second wave will happen come the fall winter months unless a vaccine becomes available before then (very unlikely). I don't see kids going back to school, I do see life starting back up to normal around June/July. In terms of golf and tournament golf USKG in our state is still on going which I find very odd, we have made the choice not to play right now for safety reasons. Still amazes me that USKG is still operating like normal right now.

 

[NRB1917]

I'm a South African living in BC, Canada. My son is 14 years old and plays off a +2.2 handicap factor. The province of BC is divided into numerous zones and all zone tournaments have been cancelled/postponed until further notice. The private tours, Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) and Maple Junior Tour (MJT) are postponed until further notice. Provincial (State) and National Tournaments are scheduled from May through to September and we'll know the fate of these tournaments a month out from their scheduled starts. Today all courses in BC closed because of Coronavirus and I think that the other courses throughout the rest of Canada are likely closed because of either weather or the virus.

So, this is the state of golf in Canada at the moment and as of 03/23/2020 we have "just" 1,432 cases across the country, 424 of those cases are in BC and there are 10 deaths in the province. We border Washington State, one of the top 3 worse affected states in the US so not surprising that BC is the worst affected province in Canada. I think in Canada we have to brace ourselves for a long break from golf, no practice or recreational play and no tournaments for the foreseeable future, perhaps the first tournaments will only start up again in the Spring months of 2021.   

Anyway, regardless of where you are in the world, infections and deaths increase daily, obviously some countries are affected worse than others, most however, are going to get a whole lot worse over the next few weeks.

The US, on their current trajectory and with 33,404 cases and 400 deaths, are probably going to be the hardest hit country in the world. I have no idea what's going to happen in the US with specific regards to golf and COVID-19. What I do know is that every country has 4 choices. 1) Do nothing. 2) Do very little, I think the US falls into this category. 3) Impose strict social distancing, travel bans, businesses closures, etc., I think Canada falls into this group. 4) Do what China did.

China are claiming a victory over COVID-19, I'm not convinced but, if China can't sort it out with their strict measures, the rest of us our in for a tough time.

Hopefully this virus goes away sooner rather than later so that we can all start to pick up the physical, emotional, social, economic and golfing pieces of our lives.

Stay safe everyone.

 

 

[Dallas]

U.S. Kids sent an email out today postponing the Texas Open from May until November 21-22. The local tour is still operating in Dallas although my understanding is that only a few kids played this past weekend.

[leezer99]

Are these people just not informed or do they not care?

[Noles]

Probably listening to people comparing it to the flu or saying that more people die in auto accidents.

[leezer99]

Here's my favorite comment so far from Joanna Killian on Twitter:

Let’s be clear. Again.

1. The virus does not spread. You spread it. Stay at home.

2. Hospitals are not the solution. They are the war zone. Only you can defeat this disease. Stay at home.

3. This is not flu. There is no cure. Stay at home.

4. People are dying. Stay at home.

[darter79]

I blame USKG, the tour directors. Completely stupid to be running golf tournaments at the junior level given the state of the world.

[leezer99]

I can understand their point of view because for many local tournament directors this is a big source of income. Unfortunately I do see a huge decline coming soon to tournament golf beyond just this time of crisis.

[Noles]

I just hope summer tournaments are able to be conducted. Be it local associations or AJGA and the like, it would be a real shame if kids had no tournament golf this year.