Golf has been given the green light in Ontario, with courses set to open on Saturday. But the need to physical distance during the pandemic means some changes are being made to the grand old game.
Golfers and course operators in Ontario must have felt like they sank a hole-in-one this week.
Golf courses will be allowed to open on Saturday as part of an initial stage of easing restrictions on businesses in place since March 23 to limit the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
The Ford government gave golf the green light yesterday after weeks of business shutdowns and orders for people to combat the coronavirus pandemic by staying inside and avoiding contact with others as much as possible.
And while golf will return in time for the May long weekend in Ontario, it comes with new guidelines designed to maximize physical distancing and limit the number of contact points where the virus can be transmitted.
Lauren Zanini, director of golf operations at Echo Valley Golf Club in London, Ont., is elated that her course can finally open.
“It hasn’t been easy holding off, but we’re excited about this,” she said. “We’re used to being open in the beginning of April. So our goal now is to open up while keeping everyone safe.”
I think it’s good for people to get out. People are going stir crazy right now.– Lauren Zanini, Echo Valley Golf Club’s director of golf operations
Zanini said unlike most other sports, even pre-COVID-19 golf has a certain amount of physical distancing built into its existing rules of play.
“You’re outside. You can follow your own ball, and you don’t have to be with the players you’re playing with. You’re not confined to a particular space,” she said.
“I think it’s good for people to get out. People are going stir crazy right now.”
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Zanini said golf course operators in London have used this spring’s downtime to swap ideas about how the game could be tweaked to keep players safe.
Many of those ideas are included in the guidelines the Ontario government released as part of yesterday’s announcement.
Here are some of the ways the age-old round of golf is changing in this COVID-19 age.
Call before going
Echo Valley is asking golfers to book ahead and arrive no earlier than 20 minutes before their tee time. Instead of the standard 10-minute intervals between groups, Echo Valley is doubling that to spread