Dees Am Some Strange Times

There is nothing quite like a little world-wide pandemic to flush out the particulars of my social life, which includes such activities as hanging out with my wife, our family, our friends, playing golf, watching sports and drinking beer.

My adult pastimes have been significantly influenced by childhood experiences, such as watching my parents and their neighbors hoot it up at our kitchen table; consuming such delicacies as pickled pigs feet/pigs knuckles/herring and limburger cheese, visiting with my Grandfather as a pre-pubescent teen, sampling warm Rheingold’s from the rafters of his basement workshop (Grandma was a teetotaler), and playing every conceivable sport under the sun at Washington Street Park in Springfield, NJ.   

Anyway, like so many others, due to our current circumstances my daily routines (i.e. checking my ESPN app for all the recent scores/stories and checking my Golf Channel app for updates on Patrick Reed’s behavior) and my adult pastimes (i.e. visiting our “spots”, including Pine Street Pub, The Side Bar, The Shed and Lollygaggers, visiting with family/friends, watching sports and following our Tampa Bay Rays) have unceremoniously vanished, leaving quite a void.  To further drive this point home, I have had the same $20 bill in my money clip for the past two weeks!

The only port in this seemingly endless storm is the game of golf, at least for now, at least in Hernando County, Florida, as my two favorite golf courses (Southern Hills Plantation and World Woods) and their practice facilities remain open for play!

Courses have been proactive in their attempt to protect their staff and patrons from the spread of the virus, minimizing exposure to various common surfaces such as golf carts, golf equipment, rakes and flagsticks.   

Below are a few initiatives:

• Clubhouses including their restaurants/bars have been closed
• Courses are limiting one person per cart
• Golf cart steering wheels and touch points are being wiped down with disinfectant
• Rakes have been pulled from the bunkers and golf carts
• Coolers have been removed from the course

In addition, courses are turning their cups upside down within the hole, allowing the bottom of the cup to protrude from the top of the hole or pushing the upside down cup just slightly below the putting surface, preventing the golf ball from fully entering the hole.  This strategy effectively eliminates any need to touch the cup or handle the flagstick.

Following suit, the USGA has recently relaxed its rules, allowing a temporary measure to accept scorecards under these conditions (inverted cups) for handicap purposes, using the “most likely score guidelines” even though the player has not actually holed the putt.  Each group or individual player decides whether a putt is considered “in” the hole.  Coronavirus: USGA Allowing a Relaxation of Golf Rules During the Current Crisis   (Florida Times-Union…Jacksonville.com)

In the grand scheme of things, an open golf course or two is of little consequence as so many are struggling with the far reaching impact of the coronavirus.  Our thoughts are with you, be safe, be well!

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The back nine can only get better!