Golf Remains Unaffected by COVID-19
By Nick Stanziale
Life has not been the same since the world has shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, and who knows if it will ever return to normal. Throughout the pandemic, there has been one thing that has remained the same, and that is golf.
If following the correct protocols — like social distancing, masks being worn, and no large gatherings — the outdoors has been deemed safe by top Covid-19 researchers. Golf is a game that must take place outside, and it can follow all three of those protocols, making it one of the few sports in the world that went away for a short amount of time, unlike other sports that didn’t come back until late July.
Besides the Korean Baseball League, golf was actually the first game to make a comeback at the grand level when Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning faced off against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady at “The Match 2.” Absent the national stage, golf has made a strong comeback in the Poughkeepsie area as well.
McCann Memorial Golf Course, located in Poughkeepsie, New York, has seen a huge spike in players since they were allowed to resume play at their course. On April 27th, the golf course released a statement and updated their loyal players on their new world. Some of the new rules included payment must be done online, the closure of the range, you must maintain a social distance of six feet or more, no more carts or pushcarts, and the course was only open to Dutchess County residents.
“The change was weird,” said avid player Jack Collins, “I was really happy that we were allowed to play again though, my game definitely suffered.”
Collins, like everyone else at the course, noticed the substantial gain in play at the course as well.
“We usually play nine holes in a total time span of two hours, but the other day we played the front nine in three hours,” said golfer Nick Burk. “We waited on every single shot, on each hole, it was way too long.”
With not much to do, golf has given people a chance to better their games, or even play for the very first time. While roaming around, it was clear, through the play watched and conversations heard, that a lot of the people golfing were newbies, or first timers.
“I never thought in my entire life that I would pick up golf, I actually never liked this sport,” said new golfer Patrick Geraghty. “For me, I’m an active person and need an activity to keep me going. Since everything was closed, and there was nothing to do, I made an impulse decision and acquired golf clubs.”
“I’m still new to this sport, and I’m not sure if I’ll stick to it if things become normal anytime soon,” Geraghty said.
As the months continue to wind down in this unusual year of 2020, the golf weather will change, and winter will bring more closures due to the outdoor activities — like golf — not being able to survive the brutal cold weather. Golf’s increased play is exactly what the sport needed. The game can get rid of the persona and stereotype that it is a boring sport. With thousands of people across the country picking up the game, it could be the next hot sport.
