Golf!!!2!

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by jkstuart12

Deena Hinshaw just started that golf courses are viewed as non-essential services and cannot be accessed by the public. Workers are allowed to be on site, but the public is not. The government will be issuing a formal statement about it later today.

She is dead to me.

(Someone is going to rage against my insensitivity with respect to language, aren't they. Relax, it's the golf thread)

[Dion]

Originally Posted by jkstuart12

Deena Hinshaw just started that golf courses are viewed as non-essential services and cannot be accessed by the public. Workers are allowed to be on site, but the public is not. The government will be issuing a formal statement about it later today.

Exercise, fresh air and sunshine are an essential service for the mental well being of people. I'm surprised she hasn't recognised that fact

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by Dion

Exercise, fresh air and sunshine are an essential service for the mental well being of people. I'm surprised she hasn't recognised that fact

I bet dollars to timbits that Dr. Hinshaw is not a golfer.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by darklord700

I bet dollars to timbits that Dr. Hinshaw is not a golfer.

Good thing too as I might be tempted to hit into her with my tee shot.

The Mayor of High River closed down our tennis courts. He's on my list too.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by darklord700

I bet dollars to timbits that Dr. Hinshaw is not a golfer.

[Roughneck]

After seeing what's happened in lots of U.S. states, and Ontario and Saskatchewan going the non-essential route already, I'm not surprised.



This was from March 30


https://clubandresortbusiness.com/bu...ublic-shaming/

Hop Brook Golf Course in Naugatuck, Conn. was forced to close its doors over the weekend after a video posted to social media of people not adhering to social-distancing guidelines caught the mayor’s attention, WTNH of New Haven, Conn. reported.

On Sunday, March 29, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said golf courses have been kept open because “golf is one of the few sports you can play and maintain six feet distance,” the Courier Journal reported.
“But too many people are not complying,” Fischer said. “Please don’t put me in a position to shut our golf courses down.”

“I’m extremely disappointed because we’ve taken great strides to adhere to precautions and have communicated to membership the requirements,” Sanders said. “And it’s very disappointing to see they were not adhered to.”

At least one Louisville Metro Council member has already called for the city to suspend golf at the city’s public courses and use the land as extra park space for the public to safely get outside while still observing social-distancing guidelines, the Courier Journal reported.

Same thing was happening in BC that led to courses shutting down on their own. Golfers just weren't following the rules, so what can you do?

[Weitz]

https://thenuggetonline.com/alberta-...pite-covid-19/

Not exactly the best source but maybe they will open?

[rohara66]

Originally Posted by darklord700

Cool bro. According to the province, non-essential businesses can still open if they have not been told to close before. My guess is Nenshi only has the power to open and close city owned golf courses, thank God.


================

If a business is not listed here as an essential service, it can still continue to operate if:

the business doesn’t fall under previous business, workplace and facility closures

================

[DoubleK]

This is all my fault. Bought new irons in February.

Sorry fellas.

[darklord700]

Reading between the lines, seems like Alberta Golf has been talking to the province to come up with restrictions so Golf can happen. Doesn't seem like Hinshaw is part of that negotiation so when asked, she just threw out the MOP line - nothing opens.

I have seen the May 1 deadline mentioned by more than one club so something must be in the work.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

This is all my fault. Bought new irons in February.

Sorry fellas.

Same with my new M6 driver.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by darklord700

Reading between the lines, seems like Alberta Golf has been talking to the province to come up with restrictions so Golf can happen. Doesn't seem like Hinshaw is part of that negotiation so when asked, she just threw out the MOP line - nothing opens.

I have seen the May 1 deadline mentioned by more than one club so something must be in the work.

Nanton was planning for May 1st also. Now i'm not so sure Deena will allow golf to happen this summer.

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by Dion

Nanton was planning for May 1st also. Now i'm not so sure Deena will allow golf to happen this summer.

For the last month and a half, everyday Hinshaw goes on TV to talk about death, infection, closing down schools and businesses. It truly is a job no one wants. So I admire her for doing it and people have liked her more than Kenney in this outbreak.

By and large, Albertans have been co-operative and have supported many of measures put out by the Alberta government.

But I'm afraid if they don't show some reasonableness as the lockdown extends and summer comes, public opinions could turn.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by darklord700

For the last month and a half, everyday Hinshaw goes on TV to talk about death, infection, closing down schools and businesses. It truly is a job no one wants. So I admire her for doing it and people have liked her more than Kenney in this outbreak.

By and large, Albertans have been co-operative and have supported many of measures put out by the Alberta government.

But I'm afraid if they don't show some reasonableness as the lockdown extends and summer comes, public opinions could turn.

I think they know an extended lock down is not good. The damage to small businesses and the economy has to be a balancing act that they are trying to navigate. Tell people to stay home and inside on a warm summer day is going to be hard to enforce.

[Slava]

Apparently Land O' Lakes has been open in Coaldale already this year...

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Slava

Apparently Land O' Lakes has been open in Coaldale already this year...

I suspect they will change their tune on it soon. At some point you have to be sensible or people will just stop listening as bad as that sounds.

[Roughneck]

So here are some of the main problems with golf being considered an essential service and how it affects covid mitigation efforts.

- Opening will require more staff. That just increases risk. Yeah it's nice for people to get paid, but every industry could be saying that. What's the justification to increase risk here? Without play, essential maintenance can get done safely over the entire day with minimal staff. If you get golf with the two-somes and 20 minute tee times that would be less than a quarter of the usual paying spots for a typical public course and their 8-9 minute tee times. Play pushed the maintenance staff closer together to have to work ahead of golf, rather than spreading out. So more risk for not a whole lot of benefit.

- It will have more people traveling to courses. They're trying to discourage people from traveling around, not the opposite. Opening courses just increases networks and interaction. Are we going to only let people play their local course? Closest course? Or are the more isolated courses just SOL?

- With both of the above, that increases the amount of people going out, new places, getting gas, more touch points, etc. Only moves to increase exposure and risk.

- Golfers don't follow the rules. Sure some do, but we've been seeing it everywhere, they just don't. Rules are just suggestions like 'Cart Path Only' or 'Fix Ball Marks' or 'Driving Range Off Mats', right?

From the Okanagan in March, a course that was determined to be open, that is now closed. Their closing prompted some of the other Okanagan courses to not even try:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1241336882199269376

- That's been what lots of courses have found. They try to put in measures and they get ignored, and the unlucky ones get a video on the news or the picture in the paper and it forces politicians hands, making things worse than they might otherwise be.

But in the end it comes down to treating a non-essential business as a non-essential business. As much as part of it make sense to make an exception and open, too many things against goals mitigation and lockdowns and shutting non-essential businesses are trying to achieve. Puts more people at risk, opens up the can of worms of 'well if they can open here's why we should open' and will undoubtedly get a lot of haters also going out just to have a 'gotcha' moment to post online and give to the news or whatever else that will do more harm than good. Trying to be an exception early will likely just result in them having to close things again anyway and make the 'ramp up' slower when things do get better.

[Dion]

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Golf is already seen as an elitist sport.... letting it open when say, XC skiiing has been banned in parks just isn't going to happen politically.

Besides, I'm not sure the economics of a course work with 1/4 (or 1/5) the number of golfers and none of them buying food or drink. Might as well run with a groundskeeper or two only and close the course to save on insurance.

Boy those Heritage Point founders are glad they sold last year....

[Lumby Lager]

A few courses in Kelowna are opening. I am still on the fence with this, either way it will be interesting following this.


https://www.kelownanow.com/watercool...ing_this_week/