by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi –
Who’d have ever thought in a pandemic that playing a round of golf would be a need not a want? So says Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and governors of other states where golf courses are allowed to remain open despite stay-at-home mandates.
Golf courses are an essential business in that they offer exercise and some sanity for a lot of folks struggling with this new norm of working from and being confined at home.
“We are not recreation, we are therapy,” said Don Nelson, PGA golf pro at Golden Eagle Golf Course in Irvington. “I say that jokingly, but really, in all seriousness, it is therapeutic. And people need that right now.”
Except for in the confines of home, golf courses are among the safest places to be at the moment if they are operating under advised guidelines.
“You’re not in contact with a whole lot of other people,” Dr Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston told golfdigest.com.
Troy Thorne, PGA golf pro at Hobbs Hole Golf Course in Tappahannock, said the PGA and United States Golf Association have offered specific recommendations and guidelines to follow during this crisis.
“They’ve sent us guidelines and that’s what we’re following,” said Thorne. “We’re picking what’s appropriate for us to do.”
At Hobbs Hole where Thorne said the course has been packed over the last few weeks, they are working hard “to limit the amount of touches each person has,” and encouraging walking versus riding by offering special rates for walkers.
All of the local courses have tackled the dilemma of having to pull out the pin or rake a bunker.
“We are touch-free on course,” said Nelson. “The cups are out of the hole, so when the ball hits the cup it’s deemed to be in the hole.
“We’ve also removed all the rakes and ball washers and the [restroom] facilities on the course are closed. The driving range is closed and we’re registering players outside,” he said.
The pro shop and adjoining restaurant are closed.
Walking is the safest option. Courses like Golden Eagle are cleaning and sanitizing the carts after each use and limiting one player per cart unless players live in the same household.
At Piankatank River Golf Course in Hartfield, restaurant manager Bryan Johnson said the pro shop remains open but sanitizing wipes are placed next to the door for players to use on the door handles.
“I can promise you, this is a clean facility,” said Johnson. “We’re constantly sanitizing the golf carts and routinely cleaning door handles and surfaces every 30 minutes.”
Piankatank, Golden Eagle, Hobbs Hole and Quinton Oaks Golf Course near Village are all open seven days a week. Indian Creek Yacht & Country Club near Kilmarnock also is open for member play. Operating times at each vary.
