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

[iacas]

8 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

I use a paper towel when I pump gas.  Saw a guy the other day at the pumps with full mask and face shield (nobody within 35 feet of him) using his bare hand on the nozzle handle.  Then got in his car without using hand sanitizer.

I don't see much wrong with that. It's aerosolized.

P.S. My bottle of hand sanitizer is in my car. He could have just gotten in and sanitized inside. Who cares what you touch for a few minutes if you clean up right afterward, and don't lick your fingers in between?

[nevets88]

I was thinking maybe I should carry a little spray bottle in the golf bag. Overkill? I do have sanitizer in the car.

The other day, someone offered to shake my hand, I'm guessing he forgot. I didn't have the heart to turn him down, and shook his hand. It's just one shake and I sanitized when I got to the car. And made sure I never touched my face during the round.

[Double Mocha Man]

45 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

I was thinking maybe I should carry a little spray bottle in the golf bag. Overkill? I do have sanitizer in the car.

The other day, someone offered to shake my hand, I'm guessing he forgot. I didn't have the heart to turn him down, and shook his hand. It's just one shake and I sanitized when I got to the car. And made sure I never touched my face during the round.

About 3 months ago, out of habit, I extended my hand and shook the hand of our new head greenskeeper.  I immediately apologized.  He seemed totally unbothered by it.  I went back to my car in the parking lot and used my hand sanitizer.

Sanitizer in your golf bag doesn't seem like overkill.  You never know, out of good ol' habit, when you'll pick up a playing partner's wedge left on the green... grab the flagstick without thinking... or find a brand new Titleist in the 2nd cut that you want to put in quarantine in your golf bag.

[Rkrider99]

Well, played a course a couple of week ago. I don't think they even know COVID exists. No masks anywhere. Feel free to pull the flagstick, no noodles or other objects in the cups. Rakes in the bunkers, water and ice available all over the course. Felt like I was playing in the normal old days. After the round we went in for lunch. Again, no masks on the waitresses, open kitchen, and no masks on the cooks. Looked like all the tables were in place where they normally would be, less than 6' distancing. A number of patrons sitting at the bar, drinking. Not sure how they're getting away with it.

[boogielicious]

18 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

From a liability standpoint, the safest thing for a golf club to do is to follow the USGA guidelines, which still recommend not touching flagsticks or rakes without immediate sanitizing afterwards.  Its certainly not unreasonable to suggest that these measures are excessively conservative, they're certaing erring on the safer side as opposed to the (marginally) riskier side.

https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/images/course-care/covid-19-resource-center/back2golf/back2golf_operations_playbook-version4-0-june10-2020.pdf

 

Just leaving the flagstick in and not touching anything but your ball is pretty safe IMO. 

[iacas]

36 minutes ago, Rkrider99 said:

Well, played a course a couple of week ago. I don't think they even know COVID exists. No masks anywhere. Feel free to pull the flagstick, no noodles or other objects in the cups. Rakes in the bunkers, water and ice available all over the course.

These are all fine, IMO, based on what we know to be true.

36 minutes ago, Rkrider99 said:

Again, no masks on the waitresses, open kitchen, and no masks on the cooks. Looked like all the tables were in place where they normally would be, less than 6' distancing. A number of patrons sitting at the bar, drinking.

Those aren't fine.

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I ate inside a few times (three, perhaps?) since we've been allowed to again in late May or June, but none in the last four+ weeks, and I won't be eating inside any time soon.

I haven't eaten out much lately compared to how much we normally did before, but at least the weather has been okay. I ate outside with my assistant coaches on Thursday evening, for example. It was 72°, though, so it was perfectly comfortable.

I don't plan to eat inside until 2021 sometime.

[Ole Duffer]

My home course up north is in a tourist area where there is a mask mandate until mid-October at least.  Tourist-wise, since re-opening, it's been about half as busy as normal in the area.  Covid has spiked since tourist season began.

But . . . 

Today is Wednesday, and Friday, Saturday and Sunday there are no tee times available.  I have a guest in town, and could not get us a tee time.

Greens fees are $89 and $79, $59 for locals, military/first responders, et al.

The owners of the course got PPP in the first relief package, as did almost every tourist business in the area, but the course is not hurting for revenue now.

 

 

Edited September 9, 2020 by Ole Duffer

[Ole Duffer]

On 9/9/2020 at 9:03 AM, Ole Duffer said:

My home course up north is in a tourist area where there is a mask mandate until mid-October at least.  Tourist-wise, since re-opening, it's been about half as busy as normal in the area.  Covid has spiked since tourist season began.

But . . . 

Today is Wednesday, and Friday, Saturday and Sunday there are no tee times available.  I have a guest in town, and could not get us a tee time.

Greens fees are $89 and $79, $59 for locals, military/first responders, et al.

The owners of the course got PPP in the first relief package, as did almost every tourist business in the area, but the course is not hurting for revenue now.

 

 

I went by last Thursday, and saw all the carts lined up for a shotgun start.  All the carts were out of the cart barn, plus some rented ones, for an annual charity tournament.

More than 120 golfers were congregating close together, with no precautions being taken.

Like I said before, it's a tourist area, and in May/June had very few positives.  So, people in spiking areas came here to get away from it.  It's spiking here now. 

[Ole Duffer]

Woods, Thomas, McIlroy and Rose headline 'Payne’s Valley Cup'

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18-Hole Match for Charity will be Televised Live on GOLF Channel Tuesday, Sept. 22; Encore on NBC, Dec. 26-27; Also Streaming on Select NBC Sports apps and GolfPass

The new Big Cedar Lodge Payne Stewart tribute course, Payne's Valley, opened with the inaugural Payne's Valley Cup, with Woods, Thomas, McIlroy and Rose in a USA v. Europe format.  Great course, great competition, settled on the 19th hole.

The Payne’s Valley Cup will implement a comprehensive health and safety play that will follow all recommended protocols put in place by the PGA TOUR and local government, utilizing testing measures to help protect the health and safety of the players, officials, the production team and others on-site.

The Missouri Governor, Mike Parson, hob-nobbed with the other celebs.

Then he tested positive.

If you wanna give Payne's Valley a try, it's $225.

[Yukari]

Well looks like we are far from getting rid of this pandemic...

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32009-2/fulltext

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/26/world/covid-19-coronavirus.html?name=styln-coronavirus-national&region=TOP_BANNER&block=storyline_menu_recirc&action=click&pgtype=Article&impression_id=4c333441-0006-11eb-af18-af72e40000f9&variant=1_Show

It looks to be a long winter...

[Rkrider99]

Meanwhile, Flori-Duh's governor has implemented Phase 3, and has opened up all the bars and restaurants to full capacity.

Watching him on the news last night, he said he will not shut anything down in the future, and will fight any county, city, or municipality that tries to shut things down.

Of course, then he said that it's up to the business to decide what they want to do.

Gotta love it.

 

[David in FL]

3 hours ago, Rkrider99 said:

Meanwhile, Flori-Duh's governor has implemented Phase 3, and has opened up all the bars and restaurants to full capacity.

Watching him on the news last night, he said he will not shut anything down in the future, and will fight any county, city, or municipality that tries to shut things down.

Of course, then he said that it's up to the business to decide what they want to do.

Gotta love it.

 

Yep!   👏👏

[Ole Duffer]

On 9/26/2020 at 9:47 AM, Yukari said:

Well looks like we are far from getting rid of this pandemic...

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32009-2/fulltext

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/26/world/covid-19-coronavirus.html?name=styln-coronavirus-national&region=TOP_BANNER&block=storyline_menu_recirc&action=click&pgtype=Article&impression_id=4c333441-0006-11eb-af18-af72e40000f9&variant=1_Show

It looks to be a long winter...

 

On 9/26/2020 at 12:33 PM, Rkrider99 said:

Meanwhile, Flori-Duh's governor has implemented Phase 3, and has opened up all the bars and restaurants to full capacity.

Watching him on the news last night, he said he will not shut anything down in the future, and will fight any county, city, or municipality that tries to shut things down.

Of course, then he said that it's up to the business to decide what they want to do.

Gotta love it.

 

Well, I can not play golf in Florida just as easy as I can not play golf up north.

I'm still itching to get out there, though.  The course looks great and I can hear it calling.

 

[Double Mocha Man]

33 minutes ago, Ole Duffer said:

 

Well, I can not play golf in Florida just as easy as I can not play golf up north.

I'm still itching to get out there, though.  The course looks great and I can hear it calling.

 

Well, go for it.  Play some golf.  Social distance yourself, do not share a cart, keep your mask handy, don't touch the flagstick... and stay upwind of mouth breathers.

Edited September 30, 2020 by Double Mocha Man

[Ole Duffer]

On 9/30/2020 at 6:50 PM, Double Mocha Man said:

Well, go for it.  Play some golf.  Social distance yourself, do not share a cart, keep your mask handy, don't touch the flagstick... and stay upwind of mouth breathers.

Thanks.  I'm getting my small fix picking the range once a week . . . my community service work.

My course is having it's most profitable (or least money-losing) season ever.  Packed tee sheet day-after-day, and packed charity events.

While doing that yesterday, and watching group after group come to the range, then go the first tee, I had the random thought that the number of those who choose to believe it is a hoax, the deny-ers and anti-maskers, is going to decrease. It cannot possibly get bigger; the virus will see to that. 

One of those we know recently got it, and had to air-evac 200 miles to the nearest COVID ICU.  That will wake up his group, and the school system where he teaches.

Then, this morning's news!!!!!!!!!

Regarding accepting facts, someone once told me, "When the student's ready, the teacher will appear."

It is what it is.

Beautiful day, here.  I think I'll go work on our boat trailer.

 

Edited October 2, 2020 by Ole Duffer

[Ole Duffer]

I have not heard of any reported massive COVID outbreaks attributed to golf courses, just massive COVID outbreaks in general, from being close to other people.  So, being close to other people at a golf course is probably no more dangerous than being close to other people other places.

&, as of yesterday, COVID is at it's highest point.

Edited October 25, 2020 by Ole Duffer

[Ole Duffer]

On 10/25/2020 at 8:25 AM, Ole Duffer said:

&, as of yesterday, COVID is at it's highest point.

No, as of yesterday.

😷

Go

Vote

Repeat

 

 

[iacas]

These were the cup liners where @NCGolfer sometimes plays golf, and where he used to play a lot of his golf.

I thought they were a good blend of not making the hole behave oddly (like a foam noodle that's a bit too tall) and not getting in the way like some of the "ejector" sticks.

Also, though, I look forward to the day when we get back to just letting the ball go in the hole, all the way, and getting it out. There seems to be virtually NO data to support the idea that COVID could be spread this way, and if you were still worried about it, rub some hand sanitizer on yourself now and then (and don't pick the ball up and immediately lick your fingers or rub your eyes).