At Wake golf courses, some try to keep a safe distance amid COVID-19 concerns
Two days after Wake County’s stay-at-home order took effect, some residents were trying to balance staying active and keeping a safe social-distance to avoid the possible spread of COVID-19.
Starr Sink of Raleigh brought her 7-year-old son to the Lonnie Poole Golf Course on Sunday to hit some balls with his father.
Golf is one of the few sports allowed under Gov. Roy Cooper’s and Wake County’s stay-at-home orders because it allows people to maintain a safe social distance and not touch each other’s equipment.
Golf courses across the country are taking precautions, disinfecting carts, cutting back hours, and closing clubhouses and pro shops.
At least one course in a Chicago suburb placed sanitized foam in holes to keep balls near the top of the hole so people wouldn’t have to reach their hand in them, the Chicago Tribune, reported. Still, Illinois shut down golf courses two days after allowing them to remain open, the newspaper reported.
As Sink and her son, Salem Ratto, waited for his dad to meet them, Salem played on the putting green, while his mother watched.
“I’m still a bit nervous to be here, but I want him to have some time out here and be with his father,” she said. “We’re trying to get outside and still feel safe.”
A few minutes later, an employee sitting in a cart nearby coughed.
“You see?” Sink said in a whisper. “That’s what I’m worried about.”
There was a steady number of visitors at the golf course Sunday afternoon. The sun was out, with few clouds, and it was warm. People of all ages, men, women, and families came throughout the day for tee times that started at 8:30 a.m. and were set to end at 5:30 p.m. Some came just to hit on the driving range, where golfers stood at least six feet apart. Employees wore gloves as they took payments.
Signs were posted telling golfers what the course was doing to keep visitors safe, such as sanitizing golf balls and carts, removing flags, rakes and benches. The golf shop was closed.
The signs also asked visitors to do their part in helping to flatten the curve, such as checking in one at a time, and washing their hands multiple times throughout the day.
Scott Clagg, the head golf professional at Lonnie Poole Golf Course, said they were getting about the same number of customers they usually get at this time of the year.
“Golf, you’re pretty much on your own already,” Clagg said.
He said he’s noticed customers trying to do their part in keeping a social distance.
On some areas of the course, some golfers seemed to be keeping their distance. Others were in groups, standing close together.
The golf course plans to cut its hours and close at 3 p.m. on Monday so that its 70 golf carts can only be used once a day. A youth golf tournament scheduled for Sunday was postponed.
Quieter than normal
About 10 minutes down the road at the Raleigh Golf Association on Tryon Road, the scene was similar. There was a steady stream of people, mostly middle-age men.
John Smith, 29, of Fuquay-Varina, who came with father, John Smith, 57, said the course was quieter than normal.
“Sunday, here would be very busy,” the younger Smith said in between holes. “We’d be waiting on every hole.”
The younger Smith said he normally golfs three or four times a week with friends. But over the past month, with the virus spreading, he has limited his visits to the course to once a week. He now only plays with his dad whom he lives with.
“We take a lot more precautions,” the elder Smith said. “We clean the whole cart down, and they are supposed to be cleaned already. When we’re done, we wash our hands.”
Wake County has reported over 130 positive cases of COVID-19, although officials say the actual number of people infected is likely higher because not everyone with possible symptoms is tested.
Statewide there were more than 1,100 reported cases, 90 hospitalizations, and six deaths, The News & Observer reported Sunday morning. There are positive cases in three-fourths of the state’s 100 counties.
Nick Boyea, an assistant golf professional at Raleigh Golf Association, who was checking people in Sunday, said there has been an increase in visitors over the past few weeks. However, he noticed a lot of older people, who normally play on the course, are not playing as much.
People 65 and older are considered to be at a greater risk for a severe illness from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
“We’ve had senior leagues had to be postponed, but we still have a good amount of people coming out here,” Boyea said. “Some people are staying home instead of coming out to golf.”
Staying safe
Back at Lonnie Poole Golf course, there were few places to sit. The benches and chairs were stacked against a wall.
Sink, walking around the course, said her and her son’s lives have changed dramatically since the coronavirus has spread.
They are staying home a lot more because she worries. When Salem’s father arrived, she stood about 20 feet away and watched them play. She told her son to be safe.
“It’s crazy to tell a kid to stay six feet from his dad,” she said.
This story was originally published March 29, 2020 at 5:06 PM with the headline "At Wake golf courses, some try to keep a safe distance amid COVID-19 concerns."
