Are you playing golf during the coronavirus outbreak?

[Rickp]

Update from a course perspective.
Until Today we were pretty much operating at 80% normalcy.  Meaning the course was open, the bar/grill is closed.  Flagsticks removed.  Told people to not rake bunkers, just play lift and place to your liking    Then of course as many touch points inside and outside being continually sanitized, including carts etc.
That all changed today in a major way.
We are open for WALKING ONLY at a rate of $20---normal green fee $49 weekday $65 weekend.  The golf shop will be closed completely beginning Thursday, people that want to play and walk, will be required to pay online.   So basically no admittance to inside the clubhouse.  Driving range also closed.  
The majority of our weekday golfers are seniors who aren't able to walk the course, so we'll be pretty deserted during the week.  
We think it's just a matter of time before the word comes to shut down completely. 
 

Sorry to hear it Grasshopper


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[dlow206]

Played 18 today. Saw a fair amount of people on the course, but I kept distance from everyone else. I walked and played by myself. When I checked in for my tee time, the pro shop doors were wide open for ventilation, and I was able to check-in from like 15 feet away. Had hand sanitizer with me.

Probably overly paranoid, but all my belongings that I touched while on the course, I put them through a UV sanitizing machine my wife bought for our house, haha.

[HardcoreLooper]

8 hours ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

Update from a course perspective.

Until Today we were pretty much operating at 80% normalcy.  Meaning the course was open, the bar/grill is closed.  Flagsticks removed.  Told people to not rake bunkers, just play lift and place to your liking    Then of course as many touch points inside and outside being continually sanitized, including carts etc.

That all changed today in a major way.

We are open for WALKING ONLY at a rate of $20---normal green fee $49 weekday $65 weekend.  The golf shop will be closed completely beginning Thursday, people that want to play and walk, will be required to pay online.   So basically no admittance to inside the clubhouse.  Driving range also closed.  

The majority of our weekday golfers are seniors who aren't able to walk the course, so we'll be pretty deserted during the week.  

We think it's just a matter of time before the word comes to shut down completely. 

 

Rob - Talk to us about the realities of a course shutdown.  How do you shut a golf course down once the growing season has started?  How do you not maintain it?  What happens if you can't mow for weeks on end while the grass is growing?  Listening to The Fried Egg this morning, Geoff Shackleford mentioned that not maintaining a course would cause problems, but he didn't go into any deep details. 

I would imagine that going without maintenance for a month or more during the growing season would create some significant issues once you were able to reopen.

And that's assuming you can get your maintenance team back after they've gone so long without work.  That's going to be brutal for those folks to go without work for an extended period of time.  Which makes me think that we'll need to do something to help them out.

 

 

 

[Peaksy68]

We've just got an update. Normal club events can continue, all district events are cancelled. Looking for positives, I can say that I finished the pennant season undefeated.

Our guidelines are as follows

AROUND THE COURSE

• Local Rule change: putting must be done with the flagstick in.
• No bunker rakes. We ask that you smooth over with your foot or club.
• The electronic card reading facilities in the clubhouse breezeway have been turned off. Please book your tee time via your mobile device, home computer or over the phone via the Pro Shop.
• As a result, all score cards must be collected from the Pro Shop.
• Players are asked to mark their own card, record the score of your playing partner, and have the card signed by your marker and yourself.
• At the conclusion of your round, please place your scorecard in the tray in the breezeway. Staff will process them using appropriate personal protective equipment.
• Cart Usage: Carts can no longer be shared. One person per cart only. As cart numbers are limited and each cart is required to be cleaned after use we encourage only those who require them to request carts.
• Shotgun events will be cancelled or modified. Guest days will be postponed. One tee starts will be implemented where possible.
• Nearest the Pins will not be awarded & no markers will be on course.
• The drinks cart will continue to operate with increased hygiene measures.

 

Seats have been removed from the clubhouse to ensure separation, but I think numbers going in after a round will be greatly reduced.

Looks like I'll get some practice on short putts with the flag in

[Brumiguy]

Firstly I hope you are all keeping well. Just wondering if people have good advice for keeping safe and what other clubs/golfers might be doing to mitigate the impact. Friends and I have a golf weekend planned in two weeks time, but will likely cancel as it is a Hotel and golf course set-up. Disappointing but important for considering others and our own health. Are people still playing as the game itself is outdoors and you can keep a certain amount of social distance etc.

 

[jddaigneault]

I am getting out and playing as weather permits. Walk the course, don’t take out the pin, don’t shake hands. Being out in nature is so peaceful in this chaotic time, I found it to be even more uplifting than normal!

[StrokerAce]

walked 18 yesterday.... got to the course around 10 and it was mostly a ghost town.

There were 2 guys on the putting green when I got there and I was going to wait for them to go out first but I overheard them on the phone w/their buddy who forgot to change his clock and was an hour late (LOL) so I went out ahead of them.

It was a glorious day in New England - mid fifties, sunny, no wind - and I felt like I had the course to myself. Normally the place would be buzzing...especially with all the golfers having been cooped up for the winter.

I walked (always do) and didn't take the pin out (since the rule change I never did anyway) so it was business as usual for me.

Saw a few more groups on the back 9...mostly walkers, a few solo carts.

I'd do it every day if I could .... 25.00 when the regular rate is 49 and a really spiritual and relaxing experience to enjoy nature and the birth of spring....

[RetiredBoomer]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy Stroker said:

walked 18 yesterday.... got to the course around 10 and it was mostly a ghost town.

There were 2 guys on the putting green when I got there and I was going to wait for them to go out first but I overheard them on the phone w/their buddy who forgot to change his clock and was an hour late (LOL) so I went out ahead of them.

It was a glorious day in New England - mid fifties, sunny, no wind - and I felt like I had the course to myself. Normally the place would be buzzing...especially with all the golfers having been cooped up for the winter.

I walked (always do) and didn't take the pin out (since the rule change I never did anyway) so it was business as usual for me.

Saw a few more groups on the back 9...mostly walkers, a few solo carts.

I'd do it every day if I could .... 25.00 when the regular rate is 49 and a really spiritual and relaxing experience to enjoy nature and the birth of spring....

It's refreshing to see your optimism.  Sometimes having more balls than brains can be fun.

My club is closed, so I don't have the opportunity to choose.

Good luck and good health to you and yours.

[GolfSpy BOS]

The coronavirus wouldn't prevent me from going golfing, however I'm not sure that the situation will afford me the time to get out there and go golfing, at least for the next few weeks.  With daycare closing and working remotely from home there's not a lot of free time around the house during daylight hours now.  Man I would kill for an at home sim right now.

I'm hopeful that the current guidelines were all operating under will allow us to return to normal work/life patterns in a month or so.

[Golfspy_CG2]

15 hours ago, HardcoreLooper said:

Rob - Talk to us about the realities of a course shutdown.  How do you shut a golf course down once the growing season has started?  How do you not maintain it?  What happens if you can't mow for weeks on end while the grass is growing?  Listening to The Fried Egg this morning, Geoff Shackleford mentioned that not maintaining a course would cause problems, but he didn't go into any deep details. 

I would imagine that going without maintenance for a month or more during the growing season would create some significant issues once you were able to reopen.

And that's assuming you can get your maintenance team back after they've gone so long without work.  That's going to be brutal for those folks to go without work for an extended period of time.  Which makes me think that we'll need to do something to help them out.

 

 

 

Mike...Good question, and one that was addressed immediately and fortunately with good foresight. 

If it comes to a full closure.  The Superintendent and two to three members of his crew will remain on duty.  They will maintain the course as usual, with the exception of cutting new hole locations each day

But regular cutting of the greens and tee boxes would continue.  Rough areas might go a tad longer than normal to be cut, as it's not really high at this time to the early season.  

But our Super said, you can't just let the grass on the green grow for say 3 weeks, then come in a whack it back down to 3/8 of an inch or whatever height you use, as it would create stress on the "plant".  

In all actuality it would be good for the course, due to such a mild winter we had unusually high volume of play all winter.   The course never got a week or two of snow cover to rest and recover.   Believe it or not, I learned from our Super that snow actually acts as a blanket to the grass during extreme cold.  Once it's covered the grass for a day or so the grass warms up.

 

[dlow206]

At my club yesterday, of all the people I saw from a distance, everyone else had a cart except for me. Not many folks are switching over to walking yet at my club.

[sixcat]

With the exception of yesterday, I have walked at least 9-holes every afternoon since last Wednesday.  Couldn't manage the cold rain yesterday.  I am getting ready to head out to play shortly.  The course has been wide open for he most part.  Mostly kids getting in their gym requirements since schools have been closed. 

It's nice to see more people walking the golf course.  It's the only way I want to play the game but I'm in the minority.  Maybe we come out the other side of this ordeal with new perspective in a lot of areas!

[Golfspy_CG2]

26 minutes ago, sixcat said:

With the exception of yesterday, I have walked at least 9-holes every afternoon since last Wednesday.  Couldn't manage the cold rain yesterday.  I am getting ready to head out to play shortly.  The course has been wide open for he most part.  Mostly kids getting in their gym requirements since schools have been closed. 

It's nice to see more people walking the golf course.  It's the only way I want to play the game but I'm in the minority.  Maybe we come out the other side of this ordeal with new perspective in a lot of areas!

I agree with you, that I enjoy walking more than riding.  But it's a combination of things here, see my post above about our course.  Then couple that with I'm 60 and have had both knees replaced and have two deteriorating disc in my lower back. I can't walk and carry a bag.  I've walked and taken a caddie several times, and as recently as October.   

For the first time though I might be considering getting a quality push cart, and see how I can do with that.  Even if I can't make it all 18 holes, I can do 9 or even a 5 hole loop out here of 1,2,3 of one course and 8,9 of the other. 

 

[sixcat]

10 minutes ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

I agree with you, that I enjoy walking more than riding.  But it's a combination of things here, see my post above about our course.  Then couple that with I'm 60 and have had both knees replaced and have two deteriorating disc in my lower back. I can't walk and carry a bag.  I've walked and taken a caddie several times, and as recently as October.   

For the first time though I might be considering getting a quality push cart, and see how I can do with that.  Even if I can't make it all 18 holes, I can do 9 or even a 5 hole loop out here of 1,2,3 of one course and 8,9 of the other. 

 

I haven't carried in over a decade and love my pushcart.  Living in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains, we have some elevation change.  The front is pancake flat for the first 6 holes.  The elevation change on 7-9 are minimal and easily to navigate without much effort.  The difficulty starts when you head toward #10.  It's 70 feet uphill from the 9th green to the 10th tee and another 90 feet from the 10th tee to the 10th green.  It's manageable again for the next few holes as you play back down the slope.  Then the next few holes are a bear.

[Golfspy_CG2]

27 minutes ago, sixcat said:

I haven't carried in over a decade and love my pushcart.  Living in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains, we have some elevation change.  The front is pancake flat for the first 6 holes.  The elevation change on 7-9 are minimal and easily to navigate without much effort.  The difficulty starts when you head toward #10.  It's 70 feet uphill from the 9th green to the 10th tee and another 90 feet from the 10th tee to the 10th green.  It's manageable again for the next few holes as you play back down the slope.  Then the next few holes are a bear.

Sounds fun!!  I would be needing a bench on that 10th tee to stop and catch my breath for about 10  minutes...ha

[BIG STU]

I called my course this morning as I was unloading under the crane. talked to one of the owners and he said the Saturday scramble was on. I do know in SC by order of the governor there is no inside sit down dining everything is takeout. And I guess under the same order you can not like bring in your refillable coffee mug. They told me when I stopped this morning so I paid for a big cup of coffee at $1.79 when usually a refill for truck drivers is .75 . So me being the cheap thrifty SOB I am I will brew 2 pots of coffee in the AM and pack 2 thermos bottles. Now some folks were being complete asshats over that but like I told them the law is the law.  

[silver & black]

My home course is staying open.... until a shut down is mandated.  They said they will follow all the rules and they have sliding windows for ordering food and drink and paying for your round. All carts will be cleaned after every person is done. I plan on buying a decent push cart and doing a lot more walking. 

[DiscipleofPenick]

If the weather breaks and the course is open i'll be out there. Nothing in my area has been cancelled or closed and Ohio is being really aggressive about shutting stuff down.

Take Dead Aim

[toehold57]

I just finished playing 9. The little 9 hole course was packed. The snack bar was closed but the shop was open.

Fist bumps, that’s about all that was different

And today I’m watching a blizzard. Maybe this go in the weather thread


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[HardcoreLooper]

Allie and I played 9 this evening on a local upscale par 3 (attached to an upscale daily fee).  She hit a nice one on this hole, well inside of me, and made the putt for birdie.  She was ornery all day being cooped up, but it was soooooo nice to get outside and slap it around a bit.

[Kenny B]

Went to the course today but only hit balls on the range.  It was fairly busy for a Thursday... announcing on the tee, in the hole and 15 minute call.  That only happens on Fri-Sun.   Friday - Sunday is very booked... 65º and sunny.

I learned a couple of things today...

They are removing rakes from bunkers today.  A few days too late.
Our pro is leaving tomorrow to be the GM of our sister course in Pasco.  
Our GM is inquiring if we can run our drink cart.  He hasn't heard yet...

I can't hit a high draw.

[MDGolfHacker]

8 hours ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

So Day 1 report of the walking only.

The notice went out yesterday that we would be walking only as of today for $15, if you are an annual member and normally pay a $15 cart fee per round, you play for free. 

We thought we might get 15 to 20 max golfers out today, and that was knowing we were going to get a day near 70 degrees.   You have to understand our course is not designed for walking.  We have 2 courses, 36 holes.   The closest 1st tee of either course is about 500 yards from the clubhouse.  The 10th hole of that same course is an easy 1/2 mile trek back past the clubhouse, down a path next to the range, then past the maintenance shop, and across the street of a neighborhood.   There are several holes that have a 300 or 400 yard distance between green and the next tee.  The first tee of the second course is also and easy 1/2 mile walk just to get to the tee.

 On a normal basis we might get 1 to 3 walkers a week, other than the high school kids for their 9 hole practices on  Wed and Friday afternoons.  It is simply not a Good Walk Spoiled!

Today we have 83!!golfers walking. 83...That's crazy.   We have joked that we need to send someone out to make sure we have all 83 find their way back.  

We will see what tomorrow brings, it's supposed to be 80 and sunny.  Right now we have 65 people who have booked online for the $15 walking rate.   We may have severely under priced that rate.   But we wanted to still encourage people to come out and play and make it as easy as possible given the restrictions put in place. 

 

I would of been out there too, but the dang honey do list seems to keep on growing and growing and growing!  When will it end?! Lol

 

MDGolfHacker

[MDGolfHacker]

7 hours ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

I agree with you, that I enjoy walking more than riding.  But it's a combination of things here, see my post above about our course.  Then couple that with I'm 60 and have had both knees replaced and have two deteriorating disc in my lower back. I can't walk and carry a bag.  I've walked and taken a caddie several times, and as recently as October.   

For the first time though I might be considering getting a quality push cart, and see how I can do with that.  Even if I can't make it all 18 holes, I can do 9 or even a 5 hole loop out here of 1,2,3 of one course and 8,9 of the other. 

 

I told you you should of gotten those bionic knees and legs . 

 

MDGolfHacker

[GB13]

Spring is just starting to peek through here, and I’m squeezing in as many weather-permitting rounds as possible until the courses are ordered to close. Then I might just hop the fence of the course I live by. Hey, no one else will be out there!

[Rickp]

Mike...Good question, and one that was addressed immediately and fortunately with good foresight. 
If it comes to a full closure.  The Superintendent and two to three members of his crew will remain on duty.  They will maintain the course as usual, with the exception of cutting new hole locations each day
But regular cutting of the greens and tee boxes would continue.  Rough areas might go a tad longer than normal to be cut, as it's not really high at this time to the early season.  
But our Super said, you can't just let the grass on the green grow for say 3 weeks, then come in a whack it back down to 3/8 of an inch or whatever height you use, as it would create stress on the "plant".  
In all actuality it would be good for the course, due to such a mild winter we had unusually high volume of play all winter.   The course never got a week or two of snow cover to rest and recover.   Believe it or not, I learned from our Super that snow actually acts as a blanket to the grass during extreme cold.  Once it's covered the grass for a day or so the grass warms up.
 

I had heard that snow as a blanket B4 when I was living in Northeast. It protects deep freezes and some cases from ice. These Greenskeepers know a lot about their courses.


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[sixcat]

14 hours ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

Sounds fun!!  I would be needing a bench on that 10th tee to stop and catch my breath for about 10  minutes...ha

You and me both!  Number 10 is an absolute beast.  

[Rickp]

200 Walkers on our course today!!  Unfricking believable. 
Here's one funny thing, one group is a regular foursome that play every Monday and Friday and always request a handicap flag when it's cart path only.  Our Head Pro said, he doesn't ever want to hear that request again from them...ha

Uh oh, Busted


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[daviddvm]

I've played every Thursday for the past three weeks and attended a Callaway club fitting last weekend. Yesterday was the first time anything has changed. The club house and restaurant facilities were closed and check in was outside in the covered open air pavilion with hand sanitizer in abundance. Only the snack shop was open for food and beverages. Carts were available and the staff announced thorough cleaning of carts between uses. I brought my own Clorox wipers and Purel to wipe and sanitize. Flags and rakes were present at this course.

On another note I'm still evaluating the Bridgestone Tour B RXS prototype ball. Check out my comments in Official member reviews.

[Topher178]

Need to add one that says "I Wish" still a lot of white stuff up north. We got another inch this week but sun and warm are coming. Can't go to the simulator. Almost ordered one ha

[Alf. S]

Bars, restaurants, cafes and gyms closing in Scotland at midnight. Our clubhouse has been closed all week but course open. Social distancing advice all over the place. Non-essential course furniture removed, leave flags in and don't touch, do not touch playing partners equipment. I'm being careful, played 18 holes today by myself.