The golf course world during COVID-19: Not bad, just different

Mark Woodward

After taking a bit of a break from writing articles for Golfdom, I’m back at it again. I’ve missed the challenge of cranking out an article every month.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what your job is, one can’t help but think about the way life was before the coronavirus. In just a few short months, all of our lives have changed dramatically in every conceivable way. And sadly, it’s a long way from being over.

During these challenging times, golf has been in the spotlight for a number of reasons. Some good, some bad. Many people think golf has been a great way for people to get out into the fresh air and recreate as long as the proper social distancing measures are put in place. Conversely, many people think golf is an activity that should not be played when so many people are suffering.

In my state (Arizona), the governor made the decision that golf was an essential activity as long as the golf facility implemented safe practices as it relates to social distancing. Therefore, golf courses could stay open with the necessary changes to protect the golfers and the staff.

As we move forward in our personal and professional lives and the golf industry continues to be scrutinized in many ways, now more than ever is the time to get involved with your local association or government advocacy group about this and any other issue your state or region faces that affects the long-term sustainability of our industry.

It’s a proven fact that there is strength in numbers when it comes to educating and informing legislators and decision-makers about the true value of what golf provides to communities.

For example, our state association has continued to work closely with our allied golf associations, and we’ve stayed in close contact with and have attended virtual meetings with our state regulatory agencies concerning water issues, economic impact statements and other policy issues.

We’ve also made a concerted effort to reach out to our senators and representatives and have conference calls with them. These calls have allowed us to tell our side of the story and ensure these decision- and policymakers have factual information about the golf industry, such as the total dollars of economic impact that golf provides to the state, total jobs in the golf industry, taxes paid to the state from golf activities, water use numbers, water management and conservation, land use numbers, rounds played, total number of golfers, environmental stewardship, etc., so they can see that golf courses truly are individual small businesses that add up to a very large industry in the state.

We are in the process of updating our economic impact study with current information as it relates to golf and tourism to show the impact of COVID-19.

Although it’s far from being business as usual, I believe golf has played a significant role in some areas of the country and provided some semblance of normality in terms of physical and mental well-being.

Obviously, we will all experience a “new normal” not only in our personal lives, but also in the way we conduct business and how the game of golf is played.

The challenges we all face are not necessarily a bad thing. They’re just different. If we continue to get or stay involved and be open to getting out of our proverbial boxes and look at everything we do differently, golf can come out of this pandemic stronger and better for all of us.

My heart goes out to all of those who were and have been affected by this awful virus. Stay safe and strong.