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Golf News: Golf and Perspective in the Time of Coronavirus

By West Valentine

HIMEJI, JAPAN - APRIL 21: A golfer wears a face mask as he plays at Himeji Seaside Golf Course on April 21, 2020 in Himeji, Japan. Himeji Seaside Golf Course has temporarily closed for all play in response to the state emergency declaration on April 7 due to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). The golf course has decided to resume operation with social distancing guidelines in place for health reasons and stress relief. However, to prevent people getting too close to each other only individual play is allowed and indoor facilities such as restaurants, baths and locker rooms are closed. Japan recently expanded the current state of emergency to cover the entire country as COVID-19 coronavirus infections continue to spread. So far Japan has recorded over 11,000 coronavirus cases. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)
HIMEJI, JAPAN - APRIL 21: A golfer wears a face mask as he plays at Himeji Seaside Golf Course on April 21, 2020 in Himeji, Japan. Himeji Seaside Golf Course has temporarily closed for all play in response to the state emergency declaration on April 7 due to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). The golf course has decided to resume operation with social distancing guidelines in place for health reasons and stress relief. However, to prevent people getting too close to each other only individual play is allowed and indoor facilities such as restaurants, baths and locker rooms are closed. Japan recently expanded the current state of emergency to cover the entire country as COVID-19 coronavirus infections continue to spread. So far Japan has recorded over 11,000 coronavirus cases. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images) /
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While many states have closed golf courses because of the Coronavirus, some of us who can still play wouldn’t survive without it. In today’s golf news, we look at golf amidst the chaos.

It definitely depends on where you are located, but there is one thing that most can agree on. Anything to do with golf, whether playing the game or some golf news, helps keep you a bit sane.

I’m not a doctor. Let’s get that out there right now. I am, however, informed about the Coronavirus and have followed the advice of experts extolling social distancing, wearing a mask in grocery stores, and avoiding any areas where people congregate.

I also believe golf is as safe as a walk alone in a park.

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Now that’s an opinion; one that many disagree with, I’m sure. I also know that many “experts” disagree about the disease, its transmission, its prevalence, and its mortality rate. In short, opinion and fact appear to still be social distancing when it comes to the Coronavirus.

Models have been wildly off-target. Drugs that have shown to help some may be harmful to others. There is so much we don’t know yet.

What I do know is that golf has kept me sane in these unprecedented times. Golf is the only time I get to feel normal. It’s the only time I get to talk to friends in-person. It’s been the only thing I look forward to at a time when there are no events, no parties, and no trips, no games – no ANYTHING! – on my social calendar.

My club has taken an abundance of caution. There are no flags, no rakes, no ball washers, and no drinking fountains to touch. The entire place is closed. The cups are raised so putts bounce off the side rather than drop over the edge. There is simply nothing to touch; it’s just me and my quarantined clubs.

The lockdown has reminded me and many others that golf is as much about friendship as it is about swinging a club at a little ball. While golf is an individual sport, it is perhaps the most social. How often do you spend four hours with three other people without the internet, TV, or phone? It’s also a relaxing way to commune with and appreciate the outdoors.

The quarantine has made me look at my golf obsession in a new light. It’s not just getting out of the house on the weekend. It’s not hanging with the boys. It’s more than that. It’s meditative. It’s mental health. It’s freedom. But most of all, it’s some semblance of normalcy.

And that’s the most valued commodity in a world and economy currently turned upside down. Normal isn’t what it used to be. Hopefully, we will get back to the normal we all prefer. I’ve almost forgotten the sound of a golf ball rattling around the bottom of a cup.

If nothing else, Golf in the Time of Coronavirus has made me lean into the lessons of the game. Be patient. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Be honest. Be steady. Keep your spirits up even when things go badly. And don’t get mad at your fellow competitors. You can only control your own actions.

We will get past all this. But one of the things I’ll remember about the great Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 is that golf helped to keep my spirits up, my body active, and my sanity in check.

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