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

[CarlSpackler]

24 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

Do you need a reason for a margarita?

No, but if @Double Mocha Man is buying. 😎

Side note - There is a Mexican restaurant in town that serves AWESOME margaritas. They had to start limiting 2 per customer.

[iacas]

Lawsuits Swell as Owners, From Gun Shops to Golf Courses, Demand to Open - The New York Times

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Orders to stay home and to shutter businesses because of the coronavirus are being challenged nationwide on the grounds they deny Americans their constitutional rights.

Blueberry Hill is a semi-local course. Never thought I'd see it in the New York Times!

[Papa Steve 55]

12 minutes ago, iacas said:

Lawsuits Swell as Owners, From Gun Shops to Golf Courses, Demand to Open - The New York Times

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Orders to stay home and to shutter businesses because of the coronavirus are being challenged nationwide on the grounds they deny Americans their constitutional rights.

Blueberry Hill is a semi-local course. Never thought I'd see it in the New York Times!

Law suits might swell, but if the court house is closed they wont get relief till its over anyway. 

[iacas]

36 minutes ago, Papa Steve 55 said:

Law suits might swell, but if the court house is closed they wont get relief till its over anyway. 

You can get an injunction over the phone, and in some cases, a quick ruling too.

[mvmac]

From our GM,

 

And my parents sent me this

 

Petition · Allow Golf in California with appropriate procedures and safe -guards. · Change.org

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Allow Golf in California with appropriate procedures and safe -guards.

 

[Missouri Swede]

17 hours ago, boogielicious said:

And I just read this.

3 Mass. men charged with violating quarantine after playing golf in R.I. | Boston.com

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The men parked at a McDonald's before a car with local plates dropped them at the course, said police.

 

“McSnitches”

[Missouri Swede]

Our town implemented a stay at home order yesterday morning, and the governor did one statewide later in the day. (It’s kind of what I see people doing here anyway, but I suppose there are some who didn’t. Not sure how much it will help St Louis or Kansas City at this point.)

The updated info for our muni:

• Course is open. Clubhouse is closed to the public.  
• Credit card and online payments only.
• Golf carts are available and sanitized after each use. One person per cart.
• All leagues and tournaments have been cancelled at this time.

Not mentioned there, but the bunker rakes and ball washers have been removed.  Each flagstick has a sign saying don’t touch, and the holes have styrofoam swim noodle inserts.

If it hadn’t been 34* with a thunderstorm, I would have played yesterday afternoon.

[Cartboy]

On 4/2/2020 at 7:30 PM, snapfade said:

Update to my earlier post. We're staying open!!

 

Same here, just announced yesterday.  Our Florida Courses have been classified as essential.  Our Northern course just got reclassified as essential.  Only open Fri-Sun 1-6 for now.  1 per cart. No pairings with strangers.  No clubhouse.  Online payments only.  No rakes.  No touching flagsticks.  Disinfect carts before and after.

[RetiredOldMan]

They closed Fort Hays, Kansas for about 2 days. After being the only course to close, Fort Hays decided to make some new rules and open back up. (Mainly because the other courses didn't close.) Good for them. 

In Kansas, we have been practicing Social Distances since January 29, 1861. 🙂 

La Crosse, Kansas, where I live is always open. (9 hole course with sand greens) 

BTW, I shot an 86 from the whites last week and my handicap went to 19. (Not bad for a 73 year old senior citizen) At the beginning of 2019, my handicap was 28. 

I will be glad when all this is over and I can work on lowering my handicap even further. 

Retired Old Man 

[snapfade]

19 minutes ago, Cartboy said:

Same here, just announced yesterday.  Our Florida Courses have been classified as essential.  Our Northern course just got reclassified as essential.  Only open Fri-Sun 1-6 for now.  1 per cart. No pairings with strangers.  No clubhouse.  Online payments only.  No rakes.  No touching flagsticks.  Disinfect carts before and after.

Cocoa Beach is going to make money somehow, and since they banned all tourists, and closed hotels and vacation rentals and have adopted the attitude of "If you're not from here, don't come here", then they have to keep some money coming in somehow. The golf course makes good money with just the local regulars the staff could care less and, off the record, would prefer tourists go somewhere else. 

[Cartboy]

44 minutes ago, snapfade said:

Cocoa Beach is going to make money somehow, and since they banned all tourists, and closed hotels and vacation rentals and have adopted the attitude of "If you're not from here, don't come here", then they have to keep some money coming in somehow. The golf course makes good money with just the local regulars the staff could care less and, off the record, would prefer tourists go somewhere else. 

I supervised/retrained the outside staff at one of our local SW FL courses a few years ago . . . 27 holes, 400 members, 300-400 rounds a day . . . so I know that feeling well during Snowbird Season.  I golfed there a couple weeks ago, for the amazing fee of $30, and two couples of "Outside Golfers" were verbally abusing a staff member after their round, saying that sure wasn't worth thirty bucks.

BS

I also supervise the outside staff at our Northern course, and am a member at another mostly-private one . . . and that attitude toward "Outside golfers" is widespread.

Frankly, a few them deserve that sentiment, and taint the rest.  Like lawyers and timeshare salesmen, 99% of them make the other 1% look bad.

 

1 hour ago, RetiredOldMan said:

They closed Fort Hays, Kansas for about 2 days. After being the only course to close, Fort Hays decided to make some new rules and open back up. (Mainly because the other courses didn't close.) Good for them. 

In Kansas, we have been practicing Social Distances since January 29, 1861. 🙂 

La Crosse, Kansas, where I live is always open. (9 hole course with sand greens) 

BTW, I shot an 86 from the whites last week and my handicap went to 19. (Not bad for a 73 year old senior citizen) At the beginning of 2019, my handicap was 28. 

I will be glad when all this is over and I can work on lowering my handicap even further. 

Retired Old Man 

We're about the same, age and golfwise.  I've been playing since before high school, and played in high school.  By a fluke, I was Conference Medalist my Senior year, but my game has always been very unorthodox, a left-handed baseball batter playing golf right-handed.

I did a minor change at age 70, strengthened my grip mostly, and went from a 20 to a 14.

Also, I play exponentially better from shorter tees, like Slope doesn't fully account for it.

I also have a few Kansas connections . . . friends in Topeka and Wichita, and so forth.  Lots of Jayhawk and Wildcats friends.

Edited April 4, 2020 by Cartboy

[Joe Jetson]

Our courses in Wisconsin have been closed statewide by order of our Governor. An online petition to open them, with several reasonable restrictions, has so far gathered over 60,000 signatures. 

I posted the information about the petition on our Neighborhood/Local website. I was surprised by the number of vicious, negative reactions and comments about it. The sad thing is that this isn't a bunch of strangers, these are my neighbors. it reminded me of an episode of The Twilight Zone, where neighbors turn against neighbors.

Many people are consumed with fear, anger and paranoia about the virus. I replied in a respectful manner to a couple posts, hoping to have a honest discussion about the restrictions. The replies were neither respectful or honest. I gave up on the idea that dialogue was possible.

The media coverage of this has preyed on people's fears, and whipped them into a near panic. Sad.

[Double Mocha Man]

22 minutes ago, Joe Jetson said:

Our courses in Wisconsin have been closed statewide by order of our Governor. An online petition to open them, with several reasonable restrictions, has so far gathered over 60,000 signatures. 

I posted the information about the petition on our Neighborhood/Local website. I was surprised by the number of vicious, negative reactions and comments about it. The sad thing is that this isn't a bunch of strangers, these are my neighbors. it reminded me of an episode of The Twilight Zone, where neighbors turn against neighbors.

Many people are consumed with fear, anger and paranoia about the virus. I replied in a respectful manner to a couple posts, hoping to have a honest discussion about the restrictions. The replies were neither respectful or honest. I gave up on the idea that dialogue was possible.

The media coverage of this has preyed on people's fears, and whipped them into a near panic. Sad.

I think it is a case of if I can't have fun, you can't have fun.

[Cantankerish]

The Online booking sites still list a bunch of courses as having tee times.  I have called a few of the courses.  Nothing.

 

It would be swell if these guys were a resource and not a mirage.

 

EDIT: In fact, I answered the poll that nothing is open near me.  But the truth is that I don’t know for certain.

Edited April 4, 2020 by Cantankerish

[Double Mocha Man]

36 minutes ago, Cantankerish said:

The Online booking sites still list a bunch of courses as having tee times.  I have called a few of the courses.  Nothing.

 

It would be swell if these guys were a resource and not a mirage.

 

EDIT: In fact, I answered the poll that nothing is open near me.  But the truth is that I don’t know for certain.

GolfNow has changed their name to GolfLater.

[jmanbooyaa]

After over 3 weeks I will be getting out to play 18 tomorrow. Always walk so no issue there. A bit nervous to be honest. Not sure what to think right now. Will keep my distance from the other 3. 
 

maybe a dumb question but would it be better to sling the bag on my back or use my pushcart? 

[Double Mocha Man]

11 minutes ago, jmanbooyaa said:

After over 3 weeks I will be getting out to play 18 tomorrow. Always walk so no issue there. A bit nervous to be honest. Not sure what to think right now. Will keep my distance from the other 3. 
 

maybe a dumb question but would it be better to sling the bag on my back or use my pushcart? 

Pushcart.  But just keep it 6 feet from other pushcarts.

[boogielicious]

15 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

GolfNow has changed their name to GolfLater.

😀