(Edgewood GC)
Other developments include: Augusta National GC donates $2 million to the cause; Weymouth CC’s lineup of “virtual events” for its growing Facebook members group; White Clay Creek CC advertises “social-distancing tee times”; and Edgewood GC must prepare to fight spring flooding without a sandbag brigade.
Here is C+RB‘s latest roundup and summary of club-related developments surrounding the pandemic that have recently been reported. Please send updates on what your property is doing that you would like to share with the C+RBcommunity to [email protected].
All of C+RB’s daily updates on the coronavirus situation can be found at https://clubandresortbusiness.com/category/covid-19/
- The Polo Club of Boca Raton (Fla.), with a community of 1,700 homes, was coping with 10 confirmed COVID-19 cases that had led to two of the 10 residents being hospitalized, The Palm Beach Post reported.
The Polo Club’s Board sent out e-mail alerts requesting that those infected with the virus self-quarantine and contact those who may have interacted with them, The Post reported.
In an e-mail dated March 29, the Board reported that “several are now more than 14 days past learning of their positive result and are without any symptoms or fever for the past 96 hours; these individuals have fully recovered from the virus,” The Post reported.
The club has implemented a “Members Helping Members” program, to assist residents with the virus by providing them with supplies, food and medicine, The Post reported.
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- Separately, The Palm Beach Post published an editorial headlined “The Selfish Privilege of Some Private Golf Courses, Boat Ramps Must Stop” (https://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/20200330/coronavirus-florida-editorial-selfish-privilege-of-some-private-golf-courses-boat-ramps-must-stop) that railed against “private golf courses from Palm Beach Gardens to Boca Raton have allowed their members to play [golf and] eschew the executive order and social-distancing directives issued on March 20 by Gov. Ron DeSantis at the request [of Palm Beach County. Citing this “shameful display of selfish privilege, [with] some [County] golf courses [acting] as though social-distancing directives don’t apply to them,” The Post endorsed the threat issued by Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw on March 29th, when he said “You don’t get to opt out of the emergency orders just because you’re a private country club. “To the country club managers,” Bradshaw added, “you will be the one that I will come and see and give you the notice to appear [in court] if you don’t shut the golf course down until further notice.”
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- Weymouth Country Club in Medina, Ohio is promoting a variety of “virtual events” for April, to be attended by a Facebook group that the club has organized and that has grown to over 140 members. Events include: “Sir Mix A Lot,” a “Stay at Home Happy Hour” with Food & Beverage Director Paul Henry, who provides ingredient lists in advance; Virtual Wine Tasting; Virtual Family Trivia Night; Virtual Talent Show and Virtual Family Bingo, which includes an offer for a “Family Bingo Dinner Box,” at a cost of $40, that serves four to six people
- White Clay Creek Country Club in Wilmington, Del. has taken out commercial spots on one of Philadelphia’s popular sports-talk radio stations to advertise “social-distancing tee times.” The club’s website says it now wants “all golfers to tee off in 20-minute intervals” and to “keep at least 6’-8’ from each other, to assist in social distancing.” The website also clarifies that only Delaware residents will be allowed to play (neighboring states Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland have all closed all golf courses).
- The Park District of Fargo, N.D., a city that perennially deals with the threat of spring flooding from the Red River, said that the COVID-19 outbreak would require that it limit its flood-containment efforts this year when protecting Edgewood Golf Course, Valley News Live reported.
In a typical year, Valley News Live reported, about 50 park district staff and volunteers would stand in close contact to pass and place sandbags to fight a flooding outbreak, but that’s not going to work with the Center for Disease Control’s social-distancing guidelines. Instead, Parks officials will now plan to use smaller groups and other measures to protect the staff and property.
The Park District issued this statement to explain its decision:
With the well-being of the community and staff as the primary focus, Fargo Park District made the difficult decision to limit flood-mitigation preparations for Edgewood Public Golf Course this spring. In order to safely follow social-distancing recommendations amid heightened concerns surrounding the potential risk of COVID-19, sandbagging efforts will be limited with sandbags already on hand at Edgewood.
Of the five Fargo Public Golf Courses, Edgewood is the only course that is the most susceptible to flooding at this river level. Edgewood begins to be impacted significantly when the river reaches approximately 28 feet, with a majority of the course underwater when the river reaches the 30-foot level.
In a typical year, park district staff and volunteers could protect Edgewood’s bowl area to the current projections with sandbagging efforts. In order to place that many sandbags, a crew of 50 people stand in close contact to pass and place sandbags. The recommendations from the CDC regarding social distancing make these normal practices impossible.
The Fargo Park District staff and Board members discussed a number of protective measures against COVID-19 at a special Board meeting on March 28. Staff at Edgewood will utilize the 17,000 sandbags already on hand at Edgewood to protect areas of the course up at these river levels.
Staff will evaluate the course daily in small groups abiding by COVID-19 guidelines. Staff will make the best efforts to protect the course while utilizing the CDC-recommended COVID-19 guidelines for social distancing for the protection of the staff.
Edgewood staff is confident that resulting cleanup efforts will be easier for this flood event than in 2019, due to a lower crest prediction and shorter timeframe the water is expected to remain on the course. Cleanup efforts will also entail social distancing, but will not pose the same proximity issues as laying sandbags.
At this time, flood waters are not expected to significantly impact any of Fargo’s other four public golf courses. Projected open dates are not yet available for the Rose Creek, Prairiewood, El Zagal and Osgood public courses. When determining opening dates for these courses, Fargo Parks will continue to monitor the situation, work with state and local health officials, and will follow recommended guidelines as they become available.
- Augusta (Ga.) National Golf Club announced that it was donating $2 million to two local entities to help with the coronavirus pandemic.
Through the club’s partnership with the Community Foundation for the Central Savannah River Area, which helps distribute charity donations from the club and tournament, $1 million will be donated to Augusta University to help expand coronavirus testing, with another $1 million given to the COVID-19 CSRA Emergency Fund, which was launched to “directly support relief efforts for the most vulnerable populations affected by the coronavirus pandemic in the community.”
“This gift is an immediate and important contribution to the expansion of our COVID-19 screening and testing efforts,” said Brooks Keel, President of Augusta University. “It provides us with needed resources to limit the spread of the virus through quicker identification and treatment. There is no doubt that because of this gift, many lives will be saved.”
As of March 29, the Augusta area had at least 98 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
“It is our hope these gifts will help address the many challenges brought about by the coronavirus throughout the city of Augusta and the greater region,” Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said. “We believe Augusta National has an important responsibility to support and protect the community who has so generously and consistently supported us for many years.”
Ridley also praised the area’s healthcare providers and first responders who are fighting the effects of COVID-19.
Augusta National GC is currently closed in the wake of the crisis, and the Masters tournament, originally scheduled for April 9-12, has been postponed.
- In addition to other measures that have been taken to sanitize flagsticks and cups, the Chicago Tribune reported that courses such as the Village Links of Glen Ellyn are now placing pink sponges soaked with hand sanitizer in each hole.
- Politicians and golf continued to be brought together by appeals from golf’s proponents to allow play as a safe recreational option, and by evidence of non-compliance with social-distancing requirements or mandates that courses must be closed.
Domenic J. Sarno, the Mayor of Springfield, Mass., reacted angrily after hearing that golfers were playing at the city’s two courses, despite both being closed due to the pandemic, MassLive.comreported.
“What is wrong with you people?” Sarno said during an update at City Hall attended by city department heads and local hospital officials.
Patrick J. Sullivan, the city’s Director of Parks, Buildings and Recreation management, said during the press conference that he had just received a report of an estimated 60 golfers playing on municipal courses, MassLive.com reported. The golfers were leaving the courses on Monday afternoon, with rain occurring, he said.
The golfers were at both Franconia Golf Course and Veterans Golf Course, Sullivan said.
“I will blockade those golf courses,” Sarno said. “This is a serious time right now. Talk about being selfish. Get it through your thick head. Don’t do it. This is not only for your city—it’s for yourself and your family members and your friends.”
Sullivan said he had directed the Forestry Division to place logs across the public entrances at both courses by the morning of March 31st, MassLive.com reported. And if he would call the police to remove golfers if needed, he added.
While golf courses in neighboring Connecticut have been allowed to remain open under multiple restrictions. Sullivan said that decision has no bearing on the city’s stance, and noted that Connecticut did not have good numbers for controlling the outbreak in that state.
City parks are open for passive recreation, Sarno noted, but tennis and basketball courts have been closed. “There will be plenty of time to play basketball, there will be plenty of time to golf, there will be plenty of time to play tennis once we—and we will—defeat this coronavirus,” he said.
- Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued a stay-at-home order on March 31 for that state’s residents, effective immediately, but said that golf courses can remain open, but clubhouses must remain closed.
InsideNoVa, which covers Northern Virginia, received reports of courses in the region that were very crowded over the weekend. And WTOP, which serves the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, reported that it spoke with golfers from New Jersey who had come to play at Stonewall Golf Club in Gainesville, Va. Gov. Phil Murphy has closed all golf courses in New Jersey, but proponents are trying to get that order reversed and a petition urging a change (https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/allow-golf-courses-in-nj-to-remain-open) has been signed by nearly 10,000 people.
• Peter Weiss, Mayor of Oceanside, Calif., was among those who played rounds at that city’s Arrowood Golf Course on March 30, to get in under the wire before San Diego Country’s four remaining public courses were closed, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
“I received information that the County Public Health Officer specifically classified golf as non-essential,” Oceanside City Manager Deanna Lorson said in an e-mail to The Union-Tribune, referring to Dr. Wilma Wooten. “Previously, we were relying on guidance stating that outdoor recreation was allowed, provided social distancing was followed. As a result of today’s information, we are notifying the golf courses that they must close [on March 31].”
Weiss called Tom Son, Arrowood’s General Manager, as a courtesy before the police chief arrived with the formal notification, The Union-Tribune reported. “I don’t have any say in it,” said Weiss, who said he tries to play a round of golf every other week. “It’s not like I can say, ‘Stay open.’ The county came to us, and once they say we need to close the golf courses, we need to close them.”
Craig Sturak, communications officer for the county’s Health & Human Service Agency, said he was not aware of any specific edict to shutter Oceanside Municipal and three other public courses in the city: Arrowood, Emerald Isle and Goat Hill.
“From a county perspective,” Sturak said, “it’s the right decision if you look at the governor’s stay-at-home order and what are essential services. A golf course doesn’t fit under that. It also falls under our [similar] local order. We certainly support it.”
According to one online tee-time service, the only course now accepting reservations within a 100-mile radius of San Diego is in Ensenada, Mexico, The Union-Tribune reported.
“Everyone is different, everyone has their own views,” said Son. “I think we did a good job keeping our employees safe and the community safe. I think it’s good for people to get outside, good for you mentally and physically. But it comes to an end. We’ll see what happens next.”
A few miles away at Emerald Isle, Holly Kennedy, who owns the 18-hole course with her husband, John, spent the day on the first tee thanking patrons for their business, The Union-Tribunereported.
“We were extremely fortunate and lucky to be open for the last week,” Kennedy said. “I give 100 percent credit to the support we’ve received from the city and the mayor. When the governor issued his order, we went home that night and told our staff it looked like we had to shut down. Then we received word from the city that we were considered a business that could stay open.”
Kennedy said golfers were coming from as far away as Los Angeles, where courses are almost all closed as well.
“It’s unbelievable the feedback from people on how grateful they were, just being outside safely,” she said. “I’ve been in the golf business my whole life. It never occurred to me what golf meant to people and what it could provide people. The mental health aspect of it, I had no idea. That’s what hurt so badly, getting that e-mail, was we can’t provide this for these people any more for a while.
“We want people to stay safe and we want them to stay healthy, and that’s not just your body. It’s your mind.”
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