Golf During Lockdown (MOD EDIT: NO POLITICS, COVID-19)

[kenstl]

Played again today, it was 84 degrees here today and felt like mid summer. The courses here have been packed during the week. The are doing a good job of keeping things spaced out, individual carts, clubhouse closed, etc; but from the looks of it the courses are doing very well.

[bladehunter]

Our courses are open here.(sc) But. I’m now home school teacher to a (smarter than me ) 11 year old. So my day is full during the week , but I’m playing my normal Saturday morning game. Walking , which I already always did. Pins in , noodles in the cup , no touching , perfectly safe and essential for my sanity.

im lucky , or more accurately , well prepared as far as golf fix goes. As an introvert naturally , I have had a practice range and putting green built ( by me ) at my house for a couple years. I prefer to practice alone. So it’s business as usual during the week. I can hit any club I want in various situations. I highly recommend something similar if you have any room to do so. You can achieve most of it with not much money. Just your own sweat equity.

[TServos]

My course was packed today....couldn’t even get on as a single. The club does all the safety things and I feel perfectly safe there.

i think it’s absolutely insane for the government to shutdown an outdoor activity like golf. Let business owners figure out how best to make their businesses safe. Let people decide what level of risk they are willing to accept.

[bigred90gt]

More courses are closing around here as days go by. Wife and I are planning to play in the morning, but we’re scrambling to find an open course. Time will tell I reckon.

[mantan]

 

I don't quite get how 'respectful' trespassing is somehow better than 'douchebag' trespassing. But if that makes you feel better about it....

This isn't a situation where the courses are closed for a random reason. I'm sure people would like to use other businesses that are 'closed' right now, but if they are shut down, we are just SOL.

If you're on a closed course here, you get a ticket. And the management gets pissed about it. Saying you fixed your divots doesn't really change much.

[jholz]

If we lived in a world of absolutes, I would be willing to concede your point. But, we do not.

 

In the real world, "douchebag trespassing" gets you a ticket. "Respectful trespassing" gets you a warning and an order to go somewhere else. Within that difference, we see the realities of crime and policing.

[jordan2240]

The best thing everyone can do to aid those who are fighting this thing directly is to stay home. That's the greatest service those who aren't in the medical field or having to go to work can provide. Frankly, I'd be ashamed to be out on the golf course right now while many are risking their lives to keep the virus in check.

[Kaysquare]

My club has two courses, both closed, mandated by our Governor (New Mexico) thru April. If anyone gets caught playing golf on the course, our club could lose any state license we hold (liquor license being the most important one), and/or be fined anywhere from $2500 to $10,000. We have a few hard-heads who just have to break rules & they've been warned they can be subject to losing club privileges for a while. My position is that our goal is to get thru this pandemic alive & healthy, not to see how soon we can get back on the golf course.

[Baitkiller]

Saw three tee times total available on the website from now till Monday next. Good grief. Albeit this a limited player, singles in cart situation and what would normally be the end of high season but I just followed a car with PA plates wandering around sight seeing in complete oblivia just like usual. Marina lot was full as well. I'm just sitting here painting the family room, writing reports I don't feel like writing and contemplating my naval. No boating, no golf, getting fat, I think my wife is plotting my death. Just like all Y'all.

[driverhead]

All courses and ranges in Maryland have been shut down since MARCH 17 (my last round). ThIs will be the 1st April I havent played golf since I started playing in 1966. I did miss most of the summer (Mid May thru mid August) .in 2015 when I broke my ankle . Because of the mild winter and being retired I did get 44 rounds in before the lockdown.

[dcfas]

All golf courses deemed “non-essential” and closed in New York State:

“A new guidance was issued Thursday morning by Empire State Development, stating specifically that golf courses are not “essential businesses" for purpose of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's pause order.

The closing of golf courses is effective through April 29 or until otherwise decided by the governor.“

 

[elwhippy]

Absolute purgatory. Dry and warm, course is in pristine condition for time of year and nobody can play it. Green staff have been able to do a ton of extra work so it will be magnificent when we return...…..

[bvmagic]

Although courses are still open in FL, I've opted not to play going forward. Last time I played 2 weeks ago, I decided to walk with a push cart by myself and it seemed the course / golfers were not taking social distancing too seriously. Since then the state went on lock down and I'm afraid the courses will be packed because its one of the few public places open.

Looking to build my own hitting net in the garage to help keep the swing in shape.

 

[KevinKegman]

 

[pat_kato]

As a resident of southern california, most, if not all, courses are closed. I've, for the love of the game, have considered driving up tp Arizona or Nevada to play a few rounds. Which course would you suggest for a 14.2 handicap?

[RSinSG]

So. Nevada courses are also closed. There are still several courses open here in St.George but we’re another 90 minutes past Las Vegas. It’s a 5 hour drive to San Bernardino for reference..https://www.snga.org/golf-courses-during-covid-19/

[MtlJeff]

Yeah i agree, not to mention we have more people in public parks here on a Saturday than we would on a golf course.

I'm hopeful we'll get to play in May, which is when our courses would open normally.

 

[myspinonit]

I read that overcrowding in Montreal parks was still a big issue and citations were being looked at. As they should be. Vancouver too, though from what I've seen people are mostly being smart now and keeping 2 meters apart and not gathering in any groups. Cars now are prohibited in our to our huge city park (Stanley park) and other measures such as road closures to allow morev room for pedestrian spacing and spacing from cyclists and logs tremoved from beaches have been impaements,

From Trudeau's comments yesterday I doubt easing will be accepted for several more months and i expect that applies to golf courses. A few courses in our suburbs stayed open despite golf Canada and Golf BC's requests. There is is continued pressure by courses that closed and some local plititians and citizen to close those too, and I expect it will happen. Hard to believe it's just about a month that a State of Emergency was declared in BC.

[MtlJeff]

Google data (as of last weekend) said Quebec was performing the best at distancing of any populated area in north america. Not trying to put anyone else off or anything that was what google said. I think the vast majority of people here are respecting it

Our premier talked optimistically about opening up businesses in may. And this is coming from someone who basically shut the province down when we had <25 cases. He has been much more positive lately that we can reopen some things with appropriate caution

 

 

[Soloman1]

"Google data (as of last weekend) said Quebec was performing the best at distancing of any populated area in north america[sic]."

 

No one wants to be around French Canadians anyway, even other French Canadians . . .

 

Disclaimer: I'm French Canadian, so I can say it. :)

[Sean2]

I bought some golf whiffle balls to hit in the back yard.

[sst17]

Golf course was closed, but reopened after some appealing to the governor. What was once an abandoned track is now a fierce competition to get tee times. No flags, flipped cups, no amenities whatsoever including the golf shop. Better than nothing i guess!

[myspinonit]

Didn't know that updated info.

[myspinonit]

Sean, I'm in a condo so no ball hitting (whiffle or otherwise) on common property, but I recently did buy the original 47" Orange Whip I can use out there. (I did think about buying one of those small chipping mats from Amazon that you have, but the neighbour optics are bad I think.)

The OW is s supposed to be mostly for tempo and transition not speed increase, but today I swung my regular driver out there after using the OW. No proper idea where the ball would have gone but I got more "whoosh" than I've heard for a long time and it seemed like a lot of speed for me. Heck, at 69 I'd take 2 mph more! (Sigh, I hope I'm not 70 before I get on the course again.)

 

 

[MtlJeff]

Lol, were a lot like new yorkers. We all hate each other until theres a crisis.

Once this is over well go back to cursing in multiple languages at each other and aggresive driving ourselves off of our terrible roads. (That's the other thing we are famous for, worst roads in north America and worst drivers.)

 

[straka82]

I respect what you are saying but I don’t feel like me going to walk 9 holes is somehow “disrespecting “ anyone . I’m respecting the 6 foot rule , not pulling pins , shaking hands .. ect .

 

it’s the only thing keeping me somewhat sane and I think it’s good for my health and well being

[MountainGoat]

I've been doing a 9-ball drill with foam balls off a mat in the back yard. Wind is a huge issue.

 

[Sean2]

I have an Orange Whip as well. At almost 65 I am not worried about distance anymore, just making a good swing and keeping the ball in play. Yes, I hope we are able to get out on the course sooner rather than later. :-)

[drumdude96]

I'm on the front lines as a radiologic technologist (x-ray tech in layman's terms). Thank God courses haven't closed in Missouri, because you can bet I'll have my a$$ at my course every chance I get. As long as people stay the hell away from each other, I don't see a problem with playing golf. I have seen a couple of groups of twenty-somethings who weren't social distancing and I rightfully got pi$$ed off. If my course gets closed because of a bunch of disrespectful millennials (or any other reason, for that matter), I'm going to lose my $hi#. And demand my membership fee be refunded. If I have to help treat sick people, the least they can do is let me blow off some stress and smack a golf ball around the course to my heart's content.

[HackerDave]

I have been down in SC since the first week of Feb. Almost everything is closed here BUT the golf courses are mostly open. Issue is there is nobody down here so they are almost empty. Most of the resorts with more than one course are rotating so they can close one down. One person per cart, cups upside down so putts dont drop. No rakes etc. Overall I feel very safe playing. My wife just can't do it. I probably get out twice a week. Walk with a pushcart. Bring drinks etc

This was supposed to be Heritage week. Courses and restaurants packed. Millions of $$ coming into the local economy. Instead our course has 16 people on the tee sheet. It truly is groundhogs day. Every day you hope its just a bad dream.

The good news is there are not a lot of cases down here. Michigan is pretty rough, so we will hang here a bit longer.

Good luck everyone. Be safe and Happy Easter