These are very strange times. I never thought I'd be combining golf with medicine, but here we are.
In case you live under a rock, we're in the throws of a bombardment by a non-living entity that you cannot see without the aid of a powerful microscope. The Coronavirus and it's offspring - the disease called COVID-19 have laid waste to our freedom and our ability to be in close proximity to one another. For the moment, there is no vaccine, nor are their effective treatments to deal with the virus' ability to wreak havoc on the respiratory system. People are dying simply because they came in contact with someone who carried the virus.
I don't know when we'll be playing league golf this year. Ruggles Golf Course has been closed since the 20th of March, and there is no timetable for when people will be allowed to play there. The captain's meeting has been cancelled. Gatherings of people larger that 10 are forbidden. The governor has all but ordered a "stay-at-home" edict. (On a more optimistic note - yesterday (the 27th of April) Governor Hogan released a three-stage re-opening plan for Maryland. Listed in the very first phase are GOLF COURSES! Now, how long will it take to get to Stage 1..... That's the question for which there is no answer.) At some point, we may be allowed to get back to the new version of normal, and that will include playing competitive golf. When we do get out there again, I thought I'd put together some simple guidelines to play without jeopardizing your fellow competitors.
1) Shaking hands is now discouraged. I like the tradition. You meet your competitors on the first tee and shake hands. At the end of the match you shake hands and commiserate. No more. Maybe the Japanese have the best solution - bow to your opponent? I'm thinking a tip of the cap and a smile will do for me. Some things really suck about the coronavirus, and this is one.
2) I don't think we'll be sharing golf carts if we're supposed to use "social distance" guidelines. Riding around for 3 hours shoulder-to-shoulder is just asking for trouble. I saw a quote from Barry Glassman that is applicable - the said we should all assume that everyone has the virus. If that's the guideline, no sharing carts. I guess one player could carry both bags if you're on one of those teams that's emphatic about riding. I love to walk, so cart-free golf is fine with me.
3) Lining up to pay for rounds is going to be problematic. I'd suggest pre-paying greens fees for the year, and then paying for carts be done outside the clubhouse. Not sure what the commish has in mind for this one...
4) I'd suggest not touching the flagstick at all. It remains in the hole for everyone. When you go to pull the ball out of the hole, touch only your ball - not the edge of the cup, not the flagstick, not the bottom of the cup. For that matter, don't touch anyone's balls but your own, even if you think you're doing someone a favor. And yes, I'm talking about golf balls.
5) We're going to have to limit the number of people on the practice putting green. Gone are the days when 50 people can crowd onto the putting surface 20 minutes before going out. Maybe practice putt on the hole prior to your starting tee.
6) The after-round beer might have to be imbibed on the patio or maybe not at all.
7) Handicappers will probably have to wear gloves to handle all of the scorecards. Speaking of that, don't touch your competitor's scorecards with anything but the tip of your pencil.
I know these seven guidelines seem crazy, and if I would have written this 3 months ago, I would have thought I was going crazy myself. Let's hope and pray that a vaccine is developed, or the populace develops an immunity to this thing. Stay safe and I look forward to tipping my cap to each one of you on the first tee when we do eventually play again.
By the way, you may have seen this article in Golf Digest. It's worth a read and worth thinking about as we try to figure out the new normal.... https://www.golfdigest.com/story/hey-golfers-lets-not-screw-this-up