Coronavirus Club Update, 4/29/20: Massachusetts Man Unites Golfers in Effort to Open Courses

The “Please Let Massachusetts Golf Petition” has garnered more than 31,000 signatures in an attempt to ease the governor’s Stay-at-Home order. Also in today’s update: A Florida club wrestles with decision to apply for a federal Paycheck Protection loan; San Francisco temporarily converts Presidio Golf GC to a public park; Sand Valley details its preparations for operating safely in the new season; a new workplace social-distancing app seeks beta testers; the Trump Organization seeks bailout money for its UK resorts; and Cypress Lake GC’s four-day Drive Out Hunger Challenge raises $20,000 for a local food bank.

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+RB community to editor@clubandresortbusiness.com.

All of C+RB’s daily updates on the coronavirus situation can be found at https://clubandresortbusiness.com/category/covid-19/.

Pleading Their Case

Joe Marin started a petition—Please Let Massachusetts Golf Petition—to Governor Charlie Baker. The letter reads:
While the intention of the COVID-19 “Stay at Home” order makes sense, various outdoor options remain OK for [Massachusetts] residents to get outside, but golf courses will be closed.

Golf by nature of the game, and with limited modifications, can comply completely with the intent of the “Stay at Home” designation. In these difficult times, people need to get out, get some exercise, while still following the rules in place.

Many states with Shelter-in-Place or Stay-at-Home orders and advisories are allowing golf, with modifications and restrictions.

As a solution, what we ask is the following:
– Allow golf courses to stay open.
– Club houses will NOT remain open.
– Flag sticks will NOT be used.
– Holes will be placed two inches above the ground or inverted so no one touches the hole.
– No golf carts will be allowed.Walking is to be encouraged.
– Tee time intervals should be no less than twelve (12) minutes between groups.
– Clubs should encourage online payments to limit interaction between course staff and customers and avoid congregation in and around the clubhouse.
– Players are prohibited from congregating on the putting green or driving range before or prior to their round.
– When rounds are completed, customers must go directly to their vehicles.
– Strict adherence to all CDC guidelines relating to responsible social distancing.

With no rakes, ball washers, or carts and no touching of the flagsticks, we would eliminate most of the possible ways the virus could be passed on the golf course.

Please consider allowing courses to remain open and look at what other states are doing that remain open with these precautions in mind.

We are all intent on following the rules and keeping our friends and families safe during this time.

The change.org letter, which has received more than 31,000 signatures, can be viewed, and signed, HERE.

PPP Loan Needed?

The Fisher Island Club, an exclusive private country club in Florida, seemingly gave its members an ultimatum—accept a federal loan meant to help small businesses or increase member dues by $5,000 to prevent a layoff of employees, The New York Post reported. In an April 27 e-mail obtained by The Post, the club announced it was conducting a straw poll of its members to determine whether to accept a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan—which it has applied for, but not yet been approved. Members have until 5 p.m. April 29 to cast their votes.

In its appeal to club members, the board of directors wrote that the club “is projected to lose many, many millions in revenue in 2020” because it was closed when Miami-Dade County shuttered all hotels, restaurants, marinas, spa facilities, golf course and tennis courts, The Post reported.

“If we keep all employees on payroll [as is our desire], the club will have a projected deficit,” the club wrote in its e-mail, The Post reported. “The Club Board and management, along with the unanimous recommendation of the Finance Committee and in accordance with its fiduciary responsibility for the financial stability of the club, made the business decision to apply for the PPP Loan.”

The club wrote that, if accepted, loan proceeds would be used to fund the payroll and benefits costs for employees, The Post reported.

“It is worthy of note that most eligible clubs applied for the PPP loans,” Club Directors wrote.

The vote has angered club members, including high-profile lawyer Thomas Lauria, who hammered the board in an e-mail to the club, which was obtained by The Post.

“The decision of the Club Board to secretly pursue US Government PPP financing without any advance disclosure to or input from its members is NOT HELPFUL,” Lauria wrote.

The country club’s poll comes after the Fisher Island Community Association, a homeowner’s association that is separate from the club, unanimously voted not to accept a $2 million loan it was approved for after residents voiced outrage, The Post reported.

Course Temporarily Converts to Public Park

The 145-acre Presidio Golf Course in San Francisco, which was ordered to close during the regionwide shelter-in-place order, has become a park for residents looking for fresh air and a break from isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic, Business Insider reported. As people around the world seek outdoor spaces during stay-at-home orders in place, some are calling for golf courses to be turned into public parks.

Before the coronavirus disease spiraled into a pandemic and a shelter-in-place order went into effect in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Francisco’s Presidio Golf Course was open to members of the public to play the game on its hilly, 18-hole terrain, Business Insider reported. This past weekend, however, the now-closed golf venue served as a public park as city residents took to open spaces for fresh air after another week in isolation.

The Presidio Golf Course is one of a few in the city required to close during the shelter-in-place order, Business Insider reported. It’s administered by The Presidio Trust, a federal agency that also oversees much of the Presidio National Park in which the course sits. The park is a 1,500-acre span of land that overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge and is home to tech offices, some residents, and the Lucasfilm headquarters.

The Presidio Golf Course is not a private club, nor is it one of the six city-owned golf courses in San Francisco, one of which is Harding Park, where the 2020 PGA Championship was slated to be held in mid-May, Business Insider reported. It’s since been postponed until August.

San Francisco, as well as other cities, have attempted to create more space for pedestrians to social distance while in public, such as with its Slow Streets initiative limiting through traffic on some roads, Business Insider reported. As it is, many have been taking to the city’s parks and existing open spaces on the weekends, pushing the social distancing boundaries in place.

Club Dedicates Page for COVID-19

Sand Valley Golf Resort in Nekoosa, Wis. will officially begin the 2020 season on May 1 and though its daily operations will look a little different, the club stated the core Sand Valley experience remains the same—three golf courses, routed through a vast prehistoric landscape, with delicious food and beverage options, genuinely friendly service, and an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors with people you love.

With the health and safety of its guests and staff a priority, Sand Valley continues to monitor the impact of COVID-19 in the region and created a special page explaining its operations when it opens. View the page HERE.

C+RB featured Sand Valley as its cover story in October 2018 (https://clubandresortbusiness.com/sand-valley-more-proof-of-a-winning-formula/).

Social Distancing App Seeks Beta Testers

There’s a nationwide outcry to reopen the country and put people back to work. And yet, even as owners and employees alike long for life to get back to some semblance of normal, there’s plenty of anxiety to go around. No employee wants to get sick. Certainly, no company owner wants to put their people at risk—nor do they want to be held liable if an employee does get sick.

That’s why companies are doing everything they can to mitigate the risk and calm the anxiety that comes along with it. It’s why they’re creating highly detailed safety plans, including sanitizing facilities, providing protective equipment, even working toward testing all employees for COVID-19. And it’s why almost all of these plans include social distancing—even as many companies wrangle with how to make it happen.

New York-based consulting firm FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency has been hard at work figuring out how to help workers feel more in control (and thus, less anxious) regarding the requisite six-foot safety zone. They’ve developed a unique, easy-to-use, secure social distancing app that helps employees keep their distance at work.

The Social Safety App is currently available in beta form by application, which can be accessed HERE. Anyone who wants to be part of the social distancing app’s limited beta release may click to apply.

Here’s how Social Safety works: The employee installs the app on their phone and wears it on an armband while they attend work. If employees come within six feet of each other, Social Safety alerts them through beeps, vibration, and light display. As employees get closer together, the sounds and display become more urgent so there is no ambiguity or confusion about what to do.

FROM’s social distancing app also keeps a secure, private record of accidental close contact between people at your business, so that in the case of infection, you will be able to warn employees of their potential exposure risk for self-quarantine purposes.

European Update

Golf clubs in Great Britain will be allowed to reopen for play next month providing there is a relaxation of the coronavirus lockdown on May 7, according to an article in the Daily Mail. It is expected, and hoped, that golf, fishing and bowls will be the first three non-contact sports to resume across Britain.

Wales has been told there is a “realistic prospect of being allowed to reopen by the middle of May,” but with a number of strict social distancing measures remaining in place out on the golf course, the Daily Mail reported. Only two-balls will be allowed on the course to begin with, and tee times will be made online with at least 10 to 15-minute gaps in between groups. Clubhouses will likely remain closed, but bathroom facilities will be open.

It is now anticipated that Britain will follow in the footsteps of the likes of both Denmark and Australia, which have both reopened golf courses but with stringent instructions the Daily Mail reported.

It looks increasingly possible that golf clubs will be among the first avenues of leisure to get the go-ahead in Ireland, The Irish Times reported. Maybe not in the immediate future but soon enough.

Prof. Sam McConkey has also given science’s qualified blessing to things like singles tennis, cycling, single-handed sailing and horse racing, The Irish Times reported. Running the roads, fishing—basically anything you can do while maintaining social distancing has a reasonable chance of coming back over the next month.

Closing all sports clubs was the right thing to do at the time, The Irish Times reported, if for no other reason than conveying the seriousness of the situation.

Trump Seeks UK Aid

The Trump Organization has applied for bailout money from Ireland and Scotland to help cover salaries for employees at its three golf resorts in Europe because of the coronavirus lockdown, according to a report by Bloomberg.

There is nothing improper about the applications. Companies across Ireland and the United Kingdom are making use of the government programs that fund up to 80 percent of workers’ salaries, with a $3,100 monthly cap, if they are put on leave and not laid off, the USA Today reported. But the easy access to state aid for financially struggling Trump Organization golf resorts in Europe stands in contrast to U.S. economic relief for President Donald Trump’s family company—to which it is mostly barred. The Trump Organization is run by the president’s sons, Eric and Donald Jr. Since taking office, Trump has vowed to insulate himself from the international business empire that bears his name.

In a statement provided to USA Today, Eric Trump said: “Like millions of businesses around the globe, we have been forced by Government mandate to temporarily close our hospitality and leisure facilities, and are doing all that we can to retain and support our highly valued staff. The job retention plan created by the UK Government has nothing to do with the Trump Organization and does not benefit the business – it is solely about protecting people and their families who would otherwise be out of work.”

All three Trump golf resorts in Europe—in Doonbeg, Ireland; Aberdeen, Scotland; and Turnberry, Scotland—are loss-making businesses, according to official company accounts, the USA Today reported. It is not immediately clear if the Trump Organization is paying the balance of the salaries for its furloughed workers. Companies must enter the program voluntarily.

Club Relief Efforts

A four-day Drive Out Hunger Challenge at Cypress Lake Golf Club in Fort Myers, Fla. raised $20,000 to help the Harry Chapin Food Bank provide healthy meals to Southwest Florida families.

Conducted April 22-25, participating club members pledged a specific dollar amount for every stroke during their round of golf, making donations by cash or check after 18 holes. Director of Golf Jon Pazdera initially thought the challenge would raise $5,000, a goal that nearly was surpassed on the Challenge’s first day.

“Our members certainly stepped up to the challenge, but most importantly, they stepped up to help families in this community whose livelihoods are being impacted by the coronavirus,” Pazdera said. “I am challenging other golf clubs and residential communities in Southwest Florida to create their own fundraising initiatives. This is the time when those of us who have been fortunate can help our neighbors during a period of great economic need.”

The concept behind the Drive Out Hunger Challenge originated with club member Raul Pedraja, whose idea was met with widespread support among fellow golfers as a means to give back while enjoying a sport they love.

“It just shows the kind of golf course and golf club members that we have here,” said Pedraja, who was on-hand April 28 as Cypress Lake Golf Club presented a check to the food bank.

Harry Chapin Food Bank, which is helping to lead the community’s fight to end hunger, has set up drive-thru distribution sites throughout the community to assist local families. For every $1 donated to Harry Chapin Food Bank, the organization is able to use its purchasing power to buy $8 worth of food. Cypress Lake Golf Club’s donation equates to about 80,000 meals.

“It just goes to show you the power of people’s support for their neighbors in need,” said Greg Clancy, major gifts officer at Harry Chapin Food Bank. “Disasters and times like these seem to bring out the best in people.”

The New Jersey Club Foundation (NJCF), as the charitable arm of the New Jersey Chapter of the Club Management Association of America, continues to support its members and their clubs. New Jersey has been extremely hard hit by the Covid19 pandemic. The Governor of New Jersey shut down all golf courses and clubhouses, private and public in mid- March and as of April 22, clubs continued to be closed to all golf and other club operations. This continuing situation has exerted extreme pressure on member clubs and their employees.

The NJCF announce it will donate $70,000 to be split evenly among clubs by which at least one of its members is employed. The donation was approved unanimously by the NJCF Board of Directors at an emergency “virtual” board meeting on April 17. The funds, in compliance with IRS stipulations, are being distributed to the clubs for the express purpose of easing the incredible burdens being felt by their employees.

Each year the NJCF hosts fundraising events that are supported by its chapter members and their clubs. It is because of this continued support and generosity that the New Jersey Club Foundation is able to continue to support our community.

In July of 2019, the NJCF created a means for the Past N.J. Chapter of Club Management of America Presidents to become re-engaged with the chapter. The past presidents were given the task of coming up with a worthy cause to recommend to the N.J. Club Foundation, which would be known as the Past-Presidents donation. With the help of many of the N.J. Chapter past-presidents, including: Albert Costantini, CCM, CCE, Michael Pollack, CCM, CCE and John Gomez, CCM, as well as board members of the N.J. Chapter of Club Management Association and N.J. Club Foundation the group honed in on The Hackensack Meridian Health Children’s Cancer Institute and, in particular, TACKLE KIDS CANCER.

Since the chapter reaches much of New Jersey and both of these hospitals fall within the boundaries of many of the clubs, the Past-President Committee felt this would, in fact, be the perfect charity for the donation and nobody can argue the need to combat Pediatric Cancer in our children.

Primland, a boutique resort located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Meadows of Dan, Va., implemented a unique way to help employees who were furloughed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Primland Cares, an online auction hosted on the RallyUp platform, generated $62,000 which went to the employee relief fund. Bid items included exclusive golf sessions with – and signed equipment from – PGA Tour Champions member Jay Haas and his son, Bill; private wine tastings; 12 rounds of golf on the top-rated Highland Course; a mountain fly-fishing experience; a girlfriends’ spa getaway for four; a two-night luxury treehouse romance package; a five-night mountain home retreat; inclusion in pheasant and turkey shoots; and a private star show in Primland’s world-class observatory.

Suppliers Support the Cause

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Devereux has shifted the focus of its current apparel production to making face masks for those in need in its community. On April 27, the company launched a “1-for-1” mask initiative in which every mask purchased from its website will be matched with a donation to essential works that are local to the state of Arizona. The company is making no profit from the initiative, as they are being sold to customers at cost.

The machine washable, reusable masks were made by the company’s Korean manufacturers who specialize in performance apparel. They’re made with organic cotton and quick-drying performance polyester which makes them perfect for the rising temperatures. Below are the other safety and comfort features:
-Compatible with N95 Filters
-Flexible wire-inserted lining for customizable fit
-Outside Fabric: ATB-UV, Antimicrobial, Quick Drying Performance Polyester
-Inside Fabric: 100% Organic non-dyed Cotton
-Machine Washable + Reusable
-Adjustable elastic ear cords

The masks can be purchased in a set of 3 for $30 at www.dvrxthreads.com. Bulk purchasing is also available for people needing quantities over 50.

Bald Head Blues has dedicated its staff and their efforts to supplying the first responders with highly needed PPE. Claude Pope, Founder and President, has spent years working with companies who help manufacture the Bald Head Blues apparel and accessory lines. Some of these manufacturers are producing supplies needed by those on the front lines – health care providers at hospitals, assisted living homes, homeless shelters, food banks, and more. He reached out to these companies to procure medical supplies.

“Our intention is to leverage our access and influence with these manufacturers for the better good. People without masks and face shields are still treating patients with the virus. It’s hard to believe! We need to protect those who are saving others,” said Pope.

Bald Head Blues offers the following PPE supplies:
-Three-Layer Disposable Face Masks
-KN95 Hospital Grade Face Masks
-Face Shields
-Disposable PVC Gloves
-Disposable Latex Gloves
-No-Contact Thermometers
-Disposable Isolation Gowns

Bald Head Blues has been providing their medical supplies to first responders, essential businesses, and to high-risk individuals since early March, and the company offers the same supplies for businesses and bulk use.

All medical supplies provided by Bald Head Blues are FDA and CE Certified and are intended for business use. The lead time is two to three weeks—delivered, and all pricing includes shipping and duty.

For more information, visit the Bald Head Blues page dedicated to the PPE Program, click HERE.

In light of the ongoing covid-19 crisis, PTE Golf is producing PETG face shields. PETG face shields provide an impermeable barrier against liquids. Able to fit over existing PPE garments, they provide an extra layer of protection from splatter, and protect the eyes and face of the wearer. This makes them ideal for medical professionals, or anyone who may otherwise come in contact with hazardous substances.

Working with a consultation team of nurses and medical personnel, PTE Golf designed the shield with safety and comfort in mind. The shields are made from 0.04″ PETG plastic, with adjustable latex straps. A non-latex version can also be crafted, upon request. The shields have a one-week lead time. All shields are made in the United States and are shipped from Naples, Florida.

Incrediwear, makers of anti-inflammatory sleeves, socks and braces, has launched its Help A Healthcare Hero Donation Program. The program is designed to get their pain-relieving, circulation-boosting products into the hands (or on to their feet) of healthcare workers currently battling the COVID-19 crisis nationwide.

After being contacted through their social media from a nurse working 13-hour shifts on top of a long commute to and from the hospital, the recovery accessory brand knew they had to take action. Distributing as many as they can of their anti-inflammatory sleeves and socks to healthcare workers who spend long periods of time on their feet and moving their body, seemed the perfect solution.

“As a past health provider and constantly working with doctors, nurses and health aids, I know firsthand fatigue, pain and discomfort can affect quality of work,” said Jackson Corley, founder of Incrediwear. “Incrediwear has been proven to alleviate pain, reduce fatigue, prevent injuries and accelerate recovery; everything our healthcare workers need to be their best in this most important time in history.”

Customers have the option to purchase a donation bundle consisting of a product for them, and a product to donate at 50 percent of its normal cost. They can also purchase just the donation product on its own. The campaign is looking to run for at least two weeks with a goal to distribute hundreds of products to centers across the country.

For more information on the donation program, click HERE.

Royal Albartross, a London-based luxury goods company, will donate 10 percent of all online sales in the month of May to ClubsHELP, a newly-formed 501(c)3 foundation created to connect U.S. golf clubs with hospitals in their local areas to provide critically needed support for health workers as they care for victims of the COVID-19 pandemic.

World Golf Hall of Famer, 2019 Presidents Cup Captain, and PGA Tour golfer Ernie Els issued a challenge to his fellow professionals and club golfers everywhere asking them or their companies to become the captain of a club, adopt their local hospital, and tap club resources to deliver greatly needed supplies to those on the frontlines during this unprecedented international health crisis.

“I am delighted to accept this challenge from Ernie,” said Alex Bartholomew, Founder and CEO of Royal Albartross, and like Els, a native of South Africa. “It’s the least we can do for the first responders who are putting their lives on the line every day. We recognize that we are part of a larger golf family and community and believe Royal Albartross can make the greatest positive impact by contributing to the ClubsHELP organization to serve our communities through our golf clubs.” In her video, Bartholomew challenged other brands to do the same.

Golf’s premier organizations, including the National Club Association and Golf Writers Association of America, leadership, and management companies have pledged to jump start the ClubsHELP program and make a swift and meaningful impact in communities throughout the United States. Additionally, the American Hospital Association (AHA) and American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) have alerted their memberships that golf clubs across the country are activating.

To be a captain, register your club, pledge support, or get additional information, access the web site at www.clubshelp.org or text ClubsHELP to 71441.