Local Golf Courses Are Hoping to Open Soon

Tuesday, 21 April 2020 12:23

The National Golf Courses Owners Association of Canada is lobbying the Provincial Government in Ontario to let golf courses be one of the first non-essential businesses to open.

ONTARIO - The National Golf Courses Owners Association of Canada is hoping that we will can hit the links soon.

Already golf courses are open in BC with a lot of safe practices in place. President of the Southwestern Ontario chapter John Decorso says they have made a formal request to the province of Ontario.

"We have been lobbying the Provincial Government to allow golf courses to be among the first businesses to be allowed to open, once restrictions on non essential businesses are lifted. We are not asking to be labelled an essential service, we are just asking that once these restrictions are showing signs of being lifted and both the Government and Health agencies deem that it is appropriate to allow for certain activities, that golf be among the first outdoor activities to be allowed to open."

Decorso says they are worried about golf courses being able to survive this pandemic.

"The main issue we are dealing with right now is the club house business because any event that's happening or would be happening this month, into May and June and that would be golf tournaments, weddings etc., they have either cancelled or postponed and that is going to be a real challenge for a lot of golf facilities, is making up that loss."

Decorso says getting the courses open and having golfers on the course will be easy and can be done safely.

We know that outdoor golf can be safely done and we can set up our courses for people to keep physical distancing, golf is well situated to do that. We can set up our courses to in such a way that people don't have to handle things that they normally would out there. The flag stick will remain in the hole but we will raise the cup or put another target around the flag stick, such that the golfer does not have to touch that. We can also stagger the tee times."

Decorso says right now, they are just waiting for an answer from the Province.