Is Golf Available Where You Live? (COVID-19 Edition)

[CarlSpackler]

50 minutes ago, iacas said:

From what I understand the GCSAA has lobbied and won the right for minimal course upkeep due to how quickly and badly a disease or something can cause irreparable damage.

I hope that's the case, but it wouldn't surprise me if our air headed medical director forbids that. Liquor stores and tobacco shops are still open. I guess they are essential.

[mcanadiens]

1 minute ago, CarlSpackler said:

Liquor stores and tobacco shops are still open. I guess they are essential.

Damn straight they are. .... Nothing to do now but self-medicate.

Drink enough and the courses will be open by the time you wake up.

 

[JGus]

19 minutes ago, iacas said:

Just be careful. Road trips involve gas stops, restroom stops, unfamiliar settings and scenes, etc.

Unless you're absolutely certain you're going to be able to remain away from everyone and without touching much… I'd look to avoid road trips for awhile.

I'm with you, but in this case WV is only 15 minutes from me so it's really not a road trip per-say.   And a quick trip to VA sounds good since @DaveP043 course is still open, the rates should be low now, maybe.

And honestly, I think I may feel safer on a road trip, my daughter is a NICU nurse, I'm just waiting for her to come home and tell me it's spreading through the hospital.

[DaveP043]

4 minutes ago, JGus said:

I'm with you, but in this case WV is only 15 minutes from me so it's really not a road trip per-say.   And a quick trip to VA sounds good since @DaveP043 course is still open, the rates should be low now, maybe.

And honestly, I think I may feel safer on a road trip, my daughter is a NICU nurse, I'm just waiting for her to come home and tell me it's spreading through the hospital.

We're open, but no guests are allowed at the moment.  I think some of the public courses are open, like Raspberry Falls, and a few other privately owned places.

We do seem to be seeing the kind of classic acceleration of cases around here, although the total numbers aren't really crazy yet.  But now is the time frame where the effects of the restrictions should start to be seen, the next couple of weeks may be telling.  Fingers crossed our health care doesn't get overwhelmed.

[Pretzel]

49 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

I hope that's the case, but it wouldn't surprise me if our air headed medical director forbids that. Liquor stores and tobacco shops are still open. I guess they are essential.

I'm not sure that liquor and tobacco stores being open is a negative, and it could potentially help slow the spread of infection. I say this specifically because liquor and tobacco are available (in most states/areas) at grocery stores that will remain open throughout the entire crises as truly essential. People will still buy their liquor and tobacco, but with specific stores closed they would instead be going to a centralized location to do it which would become crowded with more people. Keeping separate liquor and tobacco shops open could have some type of social distancing effect in that it spreads the consumers out apart from one another, rather than clustering them all into a smaller number of stores.

You do have to balance that with the question of whether those shops remaining open will encourage more people to go out. I would wager that no more people are going out, only the people who would already be going to buy it at the grocery store anyways, but I could be wrong.

As far as golf goes, maintenance work shouldn't really pose much of a threat. It's not like maintenance workers are usually within 300 yards of the next closest worker, especially if they just staggered the start times so they weren't in the shop at the same time. They also are often wearing masks/respirators and gloves anyways as PPE.

[CarlSpackler]

18 minutes ago, Pretzel said:

As far as golf goes, maintenance work shouldn't really pose much of a threat. It's not like maintenance workers are usually within 300 yards of the next closest worker, especially if they just staggered the start times so they weren't in the shop at the same time. They also are often wearing masks/respirators and gloves anyways as PPE

I would argue the same for golfers playing. At the most, a group of 4 could infect each other, but there are hundreds of people here at work that are in closer quarters than a golf course. Even though we are cleaning frequently, it is a MUCH higher risk than playing golf. As far as the clubhouse, how is it more infectious than takeout food? I'm paying for my golf and going to the course. In a restaurant, you are consuming food that an infected employee could have inadvertently coughed on. Overall, I would say that the odds are extremely low of catching this virus on a golf course.

22 minutes ago, Pretzel said:

I'm not sure that liquor and tobacco stores being open is a negative, and it could potentially help slow the spread of infection. I say this specifically because liquor and tobacco are available (in most states/areas) at grocery stores that will remain open throughout the entire crises as truly essential. People will still buy their liquor and tobacco, but with specific stores closed they would instead be going to a centralized location to do it which would become crowded with more people. Keeping separate liquor and tobacco shops open could have some type of social distancing effect in that it spreads the consumers out apart from one another, rather than clustering them all into a smaller number of stores.

The aisles in grocery stores are pretty wide allowing more separation. Liquor stores are typically very narrow.

[krupa]

3 hours ago, CarlSpackler said:

I like that idea. I would be happy to pay virtually or pay them after they reopen.

I'm either going to throw them some extra money (I've already paid for my 2020 membership) or just buy some extra crap in the shop when they open.

[Yukari]

On 3/24/2020 at 11:37 AM, DeadMan said:

Most courses around me have closed, but some are still open. It appears that most city run courses are closed at this point, but courses that are privately run or run by a recreation district (as opposed to a city) are still open.

I expect all courses to close by the end of the week.

Well, I got emails from many different courses on yesterday saying they are now closed.  Under the state mandated stay-at-home order, I presume every courses are now closed.

[CarlSpackler]

5 minutes ago, krupa said:

I'm either going to throw them some extra money (I've already paid for my 2020 membership) or just buy some extra crap in the shop when they open.

I am thankful that I didn't buy my pass this year. The city raised the price, and the courses keep getting worse. I planned to spread my money out to different courses this year.

[criley4way]

WHile I agree that golf seems like a safe activity, this is not the time to make that decision on our own. Simply by doing it resources will be taken up. Police will have to come out, course or clubs will get in trouble...

I think that safe and responsible play sounds like a great and safe activity (I am dying to get out and play). But if we don't stand together we will all suffer alone.

[CarlSpackler]

4 minutes ago, criley4way said:

WHile I agree that golf seems like a safe activity, this is not the time to make that decision on our own. Simply by doing it resources will be taken up. Police will have to come out, course or clubs will get in trouble...

I think that safe and responsible play sounds like a great and safe activity (I am dying to get out and play). But if we don't stand together we will all suffer alone.

I can't buy that. In all the many many years that I have been playing golf have I known that the police had to respond to a golf course during play. I've seen course vandalism after hours, but that is it. Perhaps a heart attack, but that would likely happen even if they weren't playing. I don't get this logic...

But then again, you do live in "the state up north". 😉

[iacas]

1 hour ago, JGus said:

I'm with you, but in this case WV is only 15 minutes from me so it's really not a road trip per-say.

Fair enough.

34 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

I would argue the same for golfers playing. At the most, a group of 4 could infect each other, but there are hundreds of people here at work that are in closer quarters than a golf course.

Golf ≠ work and golf ≠ buying groceries. Nobody "needs" to play golf. Let's stop making kinda silly comparisons like that about relative safety while ignoring the "need" for the activity.

19 minutes ago, criley4way said:

While I agree that golf seems like a safe activity, this is not the time to make that decision on our own. Simply by doing it resources will be taken up. Police will have to come out, course or clubs will get in trouble...

What resources? I played yesterday with my daughter - what resources did I take up?

19 minutes ago, criley4way said:

I think that safe and responsible play sounds like a great and safe activity (I am dying to get out and play). But if we don't stand together we will all suffer alone.

Again, what suffering did I bring to anyone yesterday? I encountered zero other people. My wife, on her walk, passed 79 people.

 

[CarlSpackler]

5 minutes ago, iacas said:

Golf ≠ work and golf ≠ buying groceries. Nobody "needs" to play golf. Let's stop making kinda silly comparisons like that about relative safety while ignoring the "need" for the activity.

I am not saying it's essential. I'm saying the chance of spreading this on a golf course is VERY low. I would say the odds are similar to going to a state park which is being encouraged by the state when that is not essential.

[No Mulligans]

37 minutes ago, criley4way said:

While I agree that golf seems like a safe activity, this is not the time to make that decision on our own...

...But if we don't stand together we will all suffer alone.

I agree.

It's very "American" to make decisions on our own.  If you aren't going to follow the state madated rules (like shelter in place in California) then you are just making up your own rules.  Not a good time for everyone to be making up their own rules.

China is a very different culture in this regard.  

[iacas]

39 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

I am not saying it's essential. I'm saying the chance of spreading this on a golf course is VERY low. I would say the odds are similar to going to a state park which is being encouraged by the state when that is not essential.

That’s not what I said. I only said not to compare relative safety of needs-based activities with playing golf.

[Pretzel]

2 hours ago, Yukari said:

Well, I got emails from many different courses on yesterday saying they are now closed.  Under the state mandated stay-at-home order, I presume every courses are now closed.

Correct, unfortunately

[leftybutnotPM]

I am in NSW and fully expect this morning's round to be my last for a while.

[dennyjones]

The Michigan governor declared that golf courses aren't essential.   They are to be closed

Michigan golf courses