2020 Golf Thread

Light-Tower-Power

ask me about My Pillow
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Jun 14, 2013
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Nashua, NH
Yep - that sounds like the exact internal conversation I'm having with myself. 35 minutes is too long for the multiple times a week I would want to go work on the short game. Not sure what I'm going to do yet.
Vesper is so beautiful to look at just driving past on 113. Definitely on my list of courses I wish I could play but probably won't ever. I've kicked around the idea of looking into a junior membership at a place like Nashua CC or Sky Meadow or Vesper but bet it's still stupid expensive.
 

mostman

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Jun 3, 2003
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Vesper is so beautiful to look at just driving past on 113. Definitely on my list of courses I wish I could play but probably won't ever. I've kicked around the idea of looking into a junior membership at a place like Nashua CC or Sky Meadow or Vesper but bet it's still stupid expensive.
I have friends that are members of Vesper and love it. I’ll join eventually - probably when my kids are old enough for me to maximize the value.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Feb 22, 2004
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Colorado got the full lockdown starting this morning. It's currently scheduled to end on 4/11 but I expect that to get extended. So far there's been no exception for golf but I'm hopeful that they realize there's it's counterproductive to shut down an industry that encourages exercise and requires 0 contact. I played yesterday. Pay by phone, range balls included and on the range. No rakes. Flags literally bolted into the hole with special inserts that made the ball not drop in. For some reason they were allowing 2 people per cart. The regulations should mandate no carts except for those who would qualify for blue flags. With those regulations I can stay further away from people than going for a walk in the park in my neighborhood. I get that it's low priority, but it's a mechanism for hundreds of thousands of people statewide to get some exercise and sunshine, both of which are important to physical and mental health.
I'm guessing there will be some push back eventually. Right now the state is doing everything it can to try to reduce contact (and here in Mass. is generally doing a very good job IMO). At some point they're going to need to think about what's actually necessary, especially when economic realities start setting in. Telling business that could otherwise operate in a low risk atmosphere that they can't operate at all during their prime season isn't going to fly. Of course, with things changing so rapidly who knows what the unexpected will be over coming weeks.

Edit: Also, for the places allowing members out there right now. 100% chance some bored fuckface calls a newspaper or the state and ruins it.
 

FL4WL3SS

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My course finally shut down officially today. I was the last group to play any holes yesterday and we will be shut down until April 10 (for now).

The thing that really bothers me is that they are allowed to still do food take-out. How does that make any sense? You can't have people walking the course, but you can have people preparing food and interacting with customers??
 

Was (Not Wasdin)

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My course finally shut down officially today. I was the last group to play any holes yesterday and we will be shut down until April 10 (for now).

The thing that really bothers me is that they are allowed to still do food take-out. How does that make any sense? You can't have people walking the course, but you can have people preparing food and interacting with customers??
It doesnt make any sense at all, but I think this is a case of "don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good" in terms of the shutdown order. It is pretty easy to maintain distance when golfing, especially if you are me (unless they determine that Covid-19 can be picked up from the woods, tall grass, or the drop zone for water hazards). If you ask people not to bunch up around the tees, greens, practice areas etc., they will generally comply. We usually don't start our league for another month (end of April) so we are hoping that there is some relief by then.
 
I think the ease with which you can maintain distance when golfing is more theoretical than practical. If you're playing in a foursome and on the course for four hours or more, how easy do you think it will be to stay at least 6 feet away from everyone in the group at all times, with no exceptions? I think that would be a lot harder than you think - that requires a heck of a lot of concentration, and probably a lot more than most people would be willing to devote to it. Maybe - maybe - in a twosome you might be able to keep your distance, but you'd still have to make a special effort over a long period of time to do so.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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I think the ease with which you can maintain distance when golfing is more theoretical than practical. If you're playing in a foursome and on the course for four hours or more, how easy do you think it will be to stay at least 6 feet away from everyone in the group at all times, with no exceptions? I think that would be a lot harder than you think - that requires a heck of a lot of concentration, and probably a lot more than most people would be willing to devote to it. Maybe - maybe - in a twosome you might be able to keep your distance, but you'd still have to make a special effort over a long period of time to do so.
This is true, but probably less contact than many of the parks, linear parks, hiking trails, grocery stores, gas stations etc that people are permitted to use where I live. In my case, I'm only golfing with my housemates so far, so no increased risk for us by being close together a few times on the course.
 

Phragle

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Golf courses in MA officially closed through April 7th.

Not sure I agree with outdoor sports where people are in close contact but not exactly worth the fight right now.

If my club doesn't start waiving the monthly dining minimum soon I may write that aggressive letter I've been stewing over for years.
Get those driving shoes on :)

My course finally shut down officially today. I was the last group to play any holes yesterday and we will be shut down until April 10 (for now).

The thing that really bothers me is that they are allowed to still do food take-out. How does that make any sense? You can't have people walking the course, but you can have people preparing food and interacting with customers??
I know people that would starve to death without take out
 

jercra

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I think the ease with which you can maintain distance when golfing is more theoretical than practical. If you're playing in a foursome and on the course for four hours or more, how easy do you think it will be to stay at least 6 feet away from everyone in the group at all times, with no exceptions? I think that would be a lot harder than you think - that requires a heck of a lot of concentration, and probably a lot more than most people would be willing to devote to it. Maybe - maybe - in a twosome you might be able to keep your distance, but you'd still have to make a special effort over a long period of time to do so.
It's not theoretical. I played Sunday, Tuesday and Yesterday. It was really pretty easy. Everyone is conscious of it so it's not like you have to guard against people who don't know to keep their distance. It's actually damn near impossible walking around the park near my neighborhood since the paths aren't 12' wide. It's also highly, highly unlikely that you'd catch anything by just walking past someone for a few seconds so even were to cross paths within 3' of each other for a second or two, you're probably still safer than walking in a park.
 

cshea

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Yeah, it doesn't seem all that difficult to me with everyone being conscious about it. I guess you can get grouped up on tee boxes and greens, but at least in my experience people aren't typically huddled around in a circle for long period of time. Not touching the flagstick seems to help distancing on the green. 6 feet isn't a crazy distance to stay apart, and I'd venture that for the bulk of a round under normal circumstances players spend the vast majority of the time more than 6 feet away from anyone else (talking a regular amateur round with no caddies). Eliminate shared carts, remove the bunker rakes, ball washers and don't have anyone touch the flag stick and I think it'd be about the same as going for a walk. Have to be careful about doing things like picking up a wedge from the last guy putting out but other than that I think it is very doable. I don't know why someone can't play golf but could instead huddle around a takeout window at a grill or bar. Seems golf is far safer than that.
 

thestardawg

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Courses are allowed to have maintenance crew keeping up the course, and I'm hearing that some private courses are letting members walk on and still play under the honor system with no transactions/pro shop interaction. Interesting approach if so. This includes a course nearby where a good buddy of mine is a member too. Gonna try to get out there for a round, unless they've changed course since I talked to him last night.

I mentioned this earlier but I played Sterling CC last weekend as a prospective member, got a chance to check out the track. Interesting layout, seemed really nice, but not a track I'd want to play all the time. Had a very Shaker Hills vibe, it was somewhere I'd love to play as a guest but not be my home course. The facilities are all brand new and gorgeous though, and if I lived a little closer I'd certainly consider it.

On the update with The International, an email came out yesterday reversing course and blaming everything on the pandemic (in direct contradiction to what they told their employees last week), but clearly stating they plan to open this season. I'm guessing they either found a buyer/investor or they are banking on a loan from the stimulus package. Regardless, the communication has been awful and created more stress and confusion on its own.

Holding out hope I get at least one more go at the Oaks. I need to ace the 13th hole once in my life.
after trading messages with a couple people who were on the advisory committee......they ain’t reopening
 
It's not theoretical. I played Sunday, Tuesday and Yesterday. It was really pretty easy.
Yeah, it doesn't seem all that difficult to me with everyone being conscious about it.
I'm just sharing what I saw over the past week in my two rounds on the course. Perhaps it's easy for you and me to consciously keep our distance, and maybe where you guys are in America there are enough golfers conscious of what's going on in the world to both keep their distance and act as vigilantes to those golfers who aren't. But this isn't what I saw on my course in Scotland, and I have a low enough opinion of humanity in general right now that I think it's probably better to be safe than sorry.
 

jercra

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Jul 31, 2006
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There are a few courses here in Co that are staying open! The statewide SIP order allows exclusions for outdoor exercise which apparently includes golf. I'm pretty happy with this development. Walking only, spaced out tee times, no rakes, cup inserts, no ball washers, pay by phone, no range balls. To go food/drink with self swipe credit card only. There's no reason to be within 6 feet of anyone and no reason to touch anything touched by anyone else.
 

Phragle

wild card bitches
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Playing my last 18 tomorrow before the stay-at-home order. Can't be that upset getting 6 rounds in before April -- don't think I got any last year.

Btw ebay auctions are cheap RN, I'm stocking up and building a backup bag
 

jercra

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Playing my last 18 tomorrow before the stay-at-home order. Can't be that upset getting 6 rounds in before April -- don't think I got any last year.

Btw ebay auctions are cheap RN, I'm stocking up and building a backup bag
Maybe golf will get exempted for you too.
 

jercra

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It's strange here. There's no expressed exemption from the governor or local authorities but the course I'm playing tomorrow is a county-owned course whose website says they were given a decision allowing them to be open. Another course says that their attorneys interpret the order to include golf in the exercise exception and don't believe it will get challenged by the state AG. Strange times indeed.
 
I went on a long (~6 miles) walk today from my home to my golf club in Dunbar and to the far end of the course and back, just to get a sense of what everything looked like and what was going on. I was kinda surprised to see as many people out there as I did, including quite a few families with children, quite a long way from the (deserted) clubhouse and parking lot. It felt like a Sunday on the Old Course in St. Andrews when it's closed, except that you wouldn't normally see kids jumping into and out of bunkers on the Old Course. Part of me cringed when I first saw this, but then I relaxed: the sand will be raked and sorted out when the time comes to golf again, and I shouldn't begrudge any families with kids from taking advantage of such a huge open space to stretch their legs and let their kids into so many sandboxes.

The club has removed all holes and cups from the greens, including the practice green, to reduce whatever temptation exists to go out there with your clubs. (The same is true of the field beyond the second fairway that serves as our practice ground - there's a sign there saying that the entire club is closed including the practice area, which I was wondering about insofar as it would seem easy enough to hit a few balls and pick them up without getting anywhere near anyone else.) There are a number of extra ropes on the course designed to usher people away from the fairways toward the coastal path, but those seemed to be getting observed in the breach, myself included. I was also surprised to see no barriers, not even traffic cones, anywhere along the entrance road to the clubhouse; nothing is there to stop me or anyone else drive out to the club and go for a walk, and I may well be tempted to do that at various points over the next few weeks and months.

Anyway, a skeleton crew has been kept on to perform basic maintenance to the course while others have been furloughed. The greens have absorbed a fair amount of sand since I last played nearly two weeks ago, so I wouldn't really want to play on them right now anyway, but this thought has occurred to me: any course that is having its basic needs tended to right now really ought to be in *awesome* shape when golf is finally able to resume. It's rare enough to let courses breathe in the winter, at least among those that stay open; for no divots to be taken or ball marks made during the height of the growing season should really yield amazing results. So I'm hopeful for the future.
 

Zomp

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Walked 18 this afternoon. Wasn’t overly crowded but a slow foursome on the course caused a log jam. The twosome in front of us and in back of us both declined joining up. Both seemed a bit put off I asked. I get it. But we can socially distance ourselves playing as 4 while trying to improve pace of play.

No bother. It was golf on real grass. Can’t be that.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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Nice stretch of weather in CT, and I’ll have gotten out 4 days in a row tomorrow for 9 holes. Greens were finally cut and rolled today, which sped em up considerably from day before. Great to be out there with the family, and the walking has been nice. We are still doing the social distance thing, as anyone taking photos to turn us in won’t know we are family.

I’m getting worse the more I play, however - lol. Mid season form
 

terrynever

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Providence Mayor just shut down Triggs GC, the city run public course that was packed over the weekend.
 

TFP

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Well I've started go a little crazy with my online shopping out of boredom, and discovered there are steep discounts on the Callaway Pre-Owned site. Just got two new MD4 wedges in Outlet quality (which is mint/brand new/still in the wrapper) for $65 each. They look like they cost more in the list but when you add them to your cart there are steep discounts added for reasons I'm not quite sure.

Also - Dick's Sporting Goods has a pretty big online sale going on, up to 50% off on a lot of stuff. Club discounts weren't that great but shoes/apparel had some really solid deals in there too.

If anyone wants a reason to buy new stuff, it's worth checking out.
 

SoxJox

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I think the ease with which you can maintain distance when golfing is more theoretical than practical. If you're playing in a foursome and on the course for four hours or more, how easy do you think it will be to stay at least 6 feet away from everyone in the group at all times, with no exceptions? I think that would be a lot harder than you think - that requires a heck of a lot of concentration, and probably a lot more than most people would be willing to devote to it. Maybe - maybe - in a twosome you might be able to keep your distance, but you'd still have to make a special effort over a long period of time to do so.
Plus, what about those 20, 30, or more groups ahead of you that handled those same pins?
 

SoxJox

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Well I've started go a little crazy with my online shopping out of boredom, and discovered there are steep discounts on the Callaway Pre-Owned site. Just got two new MD4 wedges in Outlet quality (which is mint/brand new/still in the wrapper) for $65 each. They look like they cost more in the list but when you add them to your cart there are steep discounts added for reasons I'm not quite sure.

Also - Dick's Sporting Goods has a pretty big online sale going on, up to 50% off on a lot of stuff. Club discounts weren't that great but shoes/apparel had some really solid deals in there too.

If anyone wants a reason to buy new stuff, it's worth checking out.
Also, I don't know how widespread it is, but for all of my recent online purchases, if I can't find an online promo code or coupon, I've either called or emailed and asked if there is a discount code available. I've been given codes in 3 separate cases - one 5% and two 10%. One also gave me a another 10% discount as a military veteran.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Plus, what about those 20, 30, or more groups ahead of you that handled those same pins?
Before the shelter in place shut it down, my course had the cups an inch raised out of the ground so the ball couldn't go it, as well as no rakes or carts. Basically, you wouldn't touch anything on the course anyone else touched. I think it's pretty low risk and manageable when we try to start allowing some businesses to function.
 

jercra

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Before the shelter in place shut it down, my course had the cups an inch raised out of the ground so the ball couldn't go it, as well as no rakes or carts. Basically, you wouldn't touch anything on the course anyone else touched. I think it's pretty low risk and manageable when we try to start allowing some businesses to function.
Yeah, again, this isn't theoretical. I've played now 5+ times since the stay at home orders here. The cups all are flipped upside down or have inserts so the ball on falls in about halfway or they are raised above the lips so it doesn't go in at all. There's no reason to touch the pins at all. No carts, no rakes, no ball washers, no benches, call in/pay online, extra spaced out tee times, no scorecards/pencils, etc. I've managed to touch nothing and be nowhere near others. It's really not hard.

Components of it are great actually. I love paying by phone/online and just walking up to the tee box. I love the extra spacing between tee times. I love everyone leaving the flag in and just putting the damn ball. I love not having to worry about the people in front of me too good to rake a bunker.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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Agreed on liking a lot about the new way we have to do things. You can keep score online, too - in the GHIN app, to avoid the paper cards.

I may have mentioned it upthread, but CSGA has made ball 5 feet from cup or closer count as one putt (I call it "The Zone of Certainty"). This speeds things up and further prevents congregating at the hole. So we've got 15 minutes between tee times (down from 20), cups raised up two inchess above green, no pins, no rakes, no ball washers, no benches, carts can only have one rider, and they spray disenfect after each use. I've golfed a lot this month, almost all with household family, and we've been able to keep the appropriate distance 99% of the time. The worst thing is we can't use the range/warm up area, which affects quality of play. This might be offset by the 5 foot one-putt rule.

It's been a fun month of golf. The familial trash talking is ramping up, and we incorporated a little betting into things to make it interesting. My college freshman daughter is taking advantage of being at home and playing a lot more than she'd be able to over the summer (she actually worked at another golf course the past couple of summers, but the pro wasn't rehired over the winter, so she's looking for another job). My son (HS freshman) has even been able to continue his lessons with the assistant pro - basically he gets instruction as they both play the round, and do so at a safe distance. Gave me a few tips along the way too.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Apr 12, 2005
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Got this email from my club yesterday:

We're obviously in uncharted territory in our daily lives. I've communicated with several of you in the past few weeks regarding the current course conditions, ongoing improvements, and the operational outlook. Here is where we are at this point with all the daily changes.

Our primary concern at the moment is opening golf operations ASAP, with the focus on the health and safety of members and employees involved. Governor Baker has eliminated any opportunity to open some 375 golf courses within the state of Massachusetts. He and his administration don't recognize the fact that allowing golf courses to remain open gives participants a healthy and enjoyable experience while responsibly social distancing at the same time. Unfortunately, MA, ME, NH, VT closed all golf opportunities as well as ten other states nationally. In the Northeast, RI, CT, NY are OPEN for play, as are 31 other states across the country. Go Figure! NY. The US epicenter of the virus allows golf. Keep in mind that numerous Golf Associations in the area are pressing Governor Baker and the state to allow golf to continue under stringent guidelines. I would suggest you reach out to your State Representatives and voice your support for a reasonable solution. We're not asking for unfettered access.

There is a manageable option under the current conditions.We will all need to think outside the box for daily golf operations, a new reality of utilizing the club, social distancing, and overall need for hyper hygiene: self-monitoring and the monitoring of others. Thankfully if allowed, we can modify day-to-day golf operations to address safe interactions with members, employees, and the golf operations.

The practice facility presents numerous hurtles for safe operations. The number of players, space between players, (clean) golfball distribution, suspended use of Adirondack chairs, or club washers. All because of the need for continuous monitoring, cleaning, oversight, and safety concerns at this time, all possible though.

When it comes to a once simple round of golf, that has many more potential pitfalls.The handling of ball washer handles a bunker rake, flagsticks, trash receptacles, or retrieving a golfball from the bottom of the cup all present potential frequent points of contact. When the golf course opens, we'll not install ball washers or bunker rakes at first. Trash receptacles will be strategically located throughout the golf course, yet not on every tee. The on-course bathroom facilities will be on a continuous cleaning schedule throughout the day and locked after play. During your round of golf, The course will continue to be maintained at the highest level possible. We will, however, be modifying the daily course setup. We will be placing tee markers on the edge of the tees instead of limiting the teeing ground to a typical 20' between tee marker. Locating the markers to one side gives a general location utilizing the full width of a tee. Taking this step will minimize the need for staff handling of tee markers throughout the day and extending social distancing. As I previously mentioned, the course will suspend ball washers and bunker rakes in play. The grounds staff will be managing bunkers each morning and throughout the day as necessary. The putting surface and hole out of a putt will be of little concern. The cups will be inverted and raised 1" above the surface with a short 5' flagstick. Please don't handle the flagstick, contact the raised cup with your putt and consider it holed. We are considering several options for a 9-18 hole short course for mixed family play or a quick round and other options.

We are monitoring the suspension of play with Local, State, and Federal agencies and will make any appropriate changes necessary to the operation. Keep in mind that our goal is to enhance Andover Country Club as a safe and pleasurable retreat for the entire family under what could be strict guidelines for some time. I sincerely hope that the membership can take solace in the fact that the team at ACC is working diligently to navigate through all options and serve you well in these challenging times. Your enjoyment at our facility is of the utmost importance to all of us here at the club. Ultimately we want you to consider Andover Country Club a nearby safe and secure destination for members and eventually guests alike.

I wish all of you the best for a healthy future for you and yours.
 

jercra

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I may have mentioned it upthread, but CSGA has made ball 5 feet from cup or closer count as one putt (I call it "The Zone of Certainty").
This is a USGA rule for handicaps intended to cover things like match play and four ball where you don't necessarily finish out the hole. There's a handy chart in the link for putts of other lengths as well. We've been more generous with gimmes in non-competition rounds, but 5 feet is bit too far.

https://www.usga.org/handicapping/roh/2020-rules-of-handicapping.html
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
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Best guess here given some work with DPH the past few weeks: the state doesn't have much if any bandwidth to be thinking about golf courses at this moment. Or at least the folks in DPH and HHS who would need to provide input don't have the bandwidth to look at golf right now. They're stretched thin at the moment.
 

Phragle

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Yeah, again, this isn't theoretical. I've played now 5+ times since the stay at home orders here. The cups all are flipped upside down or have inserts so the ball on falls in about halfway or they are raised above the lips so it doesn't go in at all. There's no reason to touch the pins at all. No carts, no rakes, no ball washers, no benches, call in/pay online, extra spaced out tee times, no scorecards/pencils, etc. I've managed to touch nothing and be nowhere near others. It's really not hard.

Components of it are great actually. I love paying by phone/online and just walking up to the tee box. I love the extra spacing between tee times. I love everyone leaving the flag in and just putting the damn ball. I love not having to worry about the people in front of me too good to rake a bunker.
I agree and I wouldn't mind always keeping the pin in even after the covid is gone
 

ernieshore

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@jercra Oregon golf is open, thinking about a road trip with some buddies. Besides Pumpkin Ridge, any other recommendations in and around Portland or near the WA border?
I played Pumpkin Ridge today. My experience wasn’t helped by the fact that my game seems to be lost, but it took 5 hours and 20 minutes to play. Awful. Course was packed and I didn’t see one Marshall the whole time. We played with guys who drove down from Seattle who initially planned to play 36. (They were also drinking about a beer per hole - and they were pretty good golfers.). I only saw one sign about distancing. The register was just as if nothing was going on. Cups were turned over and no rakes - but that was the only difference I really saw. Saw lots of other groups standing way closer then 6 ft. Didn’t like it.

The city courses in Portland seem to be better. They’ve spaced out the tee times some - and you pay through a window. But they are full too.
 

Light-Tower-Power

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I guess if there are any positives to the coronavirus, it’s a pretty sweet time to play golf in CT. Course I played at this afternoon is doing tee times every 15 minutes, no walk ons, and singles had their own tee times. Plus, thanks to the warm winter and lots of rain recently, you’d think it was mid to late May course conditions. Flew through a very enjoyable 18 this afternoon alone. I still suck, but being able to walk 18 and listen to music the whole time alone was a really nice change of pace from the same shit different day society we’re living in.

edit: absolutely no idea why MA and NH closed golf. If you mandate walking only or one rider per cart it seems to be possibly the most socially distant activity there is.
 

jercra

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@jercra Oregon golf is open, thinking about a road trip with some buddies. Besides Pumpkin Ridge, any other recommendations in and around Portland or near the WA border?
The Reserve should have both 18s opened tomorrow. I'd recommend there for sure. Depending how many people you'll have I can get you out with some members if you want. If you get any reciprocity from your club then you should play both 18s at Pumpkin. Heron Lakes Great Blue is a great layout right in PDX but it's usually not great condition this time of year and can get slow even during regular times. Chehalem Glenn is about 30 minutes outside Portland but is a really tough track. Stone Creek is a fun track as well. That's about it for public big boy courses.
 

Chance17

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It appears that New York golf courses (at least private ones) are allowed to reopen. I hazard that roughly half will choose to do so at this point. Unsurprisingly, a lot of people have been lobbying the state for this.

Perhaps not quite fair for this to be the first activity to reopen--and public courses may have trouble reopening since it's likely harder for them to do so without any staff other than groundskeeping and security, but perhaps they will try too. On the positive side, it's a baby step toward opening things back up.

https://www.lohud.com/story/sports/golf/2020/04/17/latest-clarification-allows-golfers-back-inside-gates-private-clubs/5155423002/
Wiggle room for private clubs was provided in the latest clarification:

"Golf courses are not essential and cannot have employees working on-premise; notwithstanding this restriction, essential services, such as groundskeeping to avoid hazardous conditions and security, provided by employees, contractors, or vendors are permitted and private operators may permit individuals access to the property so long as there are no gatherings of any kind and appropriate social distancing of six feet between individuals is strictly abided."
The New York State Club Association contacted the state through its attorney on Friday to clarify the new language. In an email to member clubs, the organization stated the following guidelines have been approved:
  • No employees within the golf operation except for security, which is responsible for ensuring members adhere to the CDC mandate for social distancing. Security can be a golf pro or starter.
  • All club facilities are to remain closed, including clubhouses, locker rooms and pro shops.
  • No caddies. No carts, except for pull or push carts.
  • Admission of guests is to be determined by the security personnel on the golf course.
  • Maintenance personnel are permitted to work on the golf course.
  • Clubs should have a printed copy of the new guidance in case local law enforcement is not aware of the new guidance.
 

FL4WL3SS

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
14,913
Andy Brickley's potty mouth
I played Pumpkin Ridge today. My experience wasn’t helped by the fact that my game seems to be lost, but it took 5 hours and 20 minutes to play. Awful. Course was packed and I didn’t see one Marshall the whole time. We played with guys who drove down from Seattle who initially planned to play 36. (They were also drinking about a beer per hole - and they were pretty good golfers.). I only saw one sign about distancing. The register was just as if nothing was going on. Cups were turned over and no rakes - but that was the only difference I really saw. Saw lots of other groups standing way closer then 6 ft. Didn’t like it.

The city courses in Portland seem to be better. They’ve spaced out the tee times some - and you pay through a window. But they are full too.
The Reserve should have both 18s opened tomorrow. I'd recommend there for sure. Depending how many people you'll have I can get you out with some members if you want. If you get any reciprocity from your club then you should play both 18s at Pumpkin. Heron Lakes Great Blue is a great layout right in PDX but it's usually not great condition this time of year and can get slow even during regular times. Chehalem Glenn is about 30 minutes outside Portland but is a really tough track. Stone Creek is a fun track as well. That's about it for public big boy courses.
We played 36 at Pumpkin Ridge/Ghost Creek yesterday. Brought 8 guys down from Seattle, weather was beautiful and we had a blast. Definitely echo the lack of Covid urgency. Really enjoyed the course, made about 8 birdies on the day with as many doubles.
 

Comfortably Lomb

Koko the Monkey
SoSH Member
Feb 22, 2004
12,959
The Paris of the 80s
It appears that New York golf courses (at least private ones) are allowed to reopen. I hazard that roughly half will choose to do so at this point. Unsurprisingly, a lot of people have been lobbying the state for this.

Perhaps not quite fair for this to be the first activity to reopen--and public courses may have trouble reopening since it's likely harder for them to do so without any staff other than groundskeeping and security, but perhaps they will try too. On the positive side, it's a baby step toward opening things back up.
It's a bit weird in MA. Golf course maintenance is currently allowed but play is not. However, while public courses are just businesses, many private courses are owned by the membership for use by the membership. I know mine course is. It feels like there's a legal question there as to whether the state can prohibit people from accessing privately held land.
 

jercra

No longer respects DeChambeau
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
3,147
Arvada, Co
This is the worst.
I have a buddy who, regardless of the presence of ball washers, just puts the entire golf ball in his mouth and swishes it around to clean his ball as soon as he gets to the green. It's incredibly nasty. I can't imagine how much goose shit, elk shit and chemicals that dude has ingested. You could always try that method?