Business at Midlands golf courses is booming. ‘But it’s definitely not normal’

This time of the year — late March and early April with azaleas blooming, dogwoods preparing to pop and the Masters just around the corner — Midlands golf begins to boom.

And so it is in 2020.

“But it’s definitely not normal,” said Windermere Club general manager Fred Layman.

The coronavirus pandemic is altering practically every aspect of daily lives, and the golf industry is no exception. The Masters is on hold, and multiple steps to eliminate possible sources of the disease — “Getting rid of touch points,” Columbia Country Club general manager and head professional Chris Sparrow said — change the playing experience.

Nevertheless, Midlands courses “have been packed” lately, said Greg McBride, head professional at the Spur at Northwoods and president of the Midlands Golf Course Owners Association.

Nationally, responses are mixed. Some courses have closed and others remain open. The city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County issued a “shelter-in-place” order that included keeping golf courses open. According to a Friday review of things, neighboring states Georgia and North Carolina join South Carolina in having most courses open for play.

“(Golf governing bodies) are supporting playing the game in non-organized ways,” said Biff Lathrop, executive director of the South Carolina Golf Association. “We and our allied associations have suspended our competitions until mid-May, and we’re encouraging clubs not to hold organized tournaments.

“We would like to see golf courses kept open as a safe environment for people to get outside and enjoy some physical activity while adhering to CDC (Center for Disease Control) and social distancing guidelines.”

Precautions taken by courses include:

▪ Closing food operation or limiting to takeout;

▪ Providing single-rider carts if possible;

▪ Restricted access to the clubhouse or pro shop;

▪ Have golfers pre-pay by phone or online to avoid handling credit cards or cash;

▪ Personnel wearing gloves in the pro shop and tending carts;

▪ Advising golfers not to touch the flag stick or another player’s club and devising ways to keep balls from dropping into the hole such as raising cups above ground level;

▪ Removing water stations, ball washers, bunker rakes and trash cans from the course;

▪ Suggesting that post-round handshakes are eliminated;

▪ Sanitize carts before use and after use;

▪ Place carts in parking lots to allow golfers to load bags without involving club personnel.

“There are lots of different things that can be done,” Sparrow said. “We have even taken pencils and scorecards off carts.”

Golfers are appreciative “and mostly understanding” of the precautions,” McBride said. “We want to be safe for everybody and to do the right thing. Maybe we give some people relief from ‘cabin fever.’”

The Spur has enjoyed “two very busy weekends and better than usual midweek play with the great weather,” McBride said.

Oak Hills reported “more play than usual for this time of year” and Forest Lake Club “had a ton of golf played” in recent days, head professional John Winterhalter said.

Windermere, the Blythewood club that has restored its original name, “sells out daily,” Layman said. At the Woodlands, “we’re seeing members we haven’t seen since last year,” general manager Robin Waters said.

“We’re following all the protocols to make sure we have as safe an environment as possible,” said Clem King, general manager and head pro at Woodcreek Club.

On the other hand, Fort Jackson Golf Club has seen play dwindle due to restrictions on access to the military installation.

The SCGA, Women’s South Carolina Golf Association and the Carolinas Golf Association “have reached out to every golf course (in the Carolinas) and implored them to take immediate and aggressive action to make their course safe for both golfers and their staffs,” Lathrop said. “To my knowledge, every course has done that. We have emphasized that safety takes precedent over any operational concerns, and (course operators) have listened.”

At the Woodlands, Waters noted that neighborhood residents take advantage of the club’s 200 acres for their daily walks, and, he said, “that’s a good thing. We all need to get outside and exercise.”

Following CDC advice, two major championships — the Masters and the PGA — have been postponed, and the PGA Tour has canceled all its tournaments until at least mid-May. And the cancellations reach to grass-root events. Augusta National Golf Club announced Friday that the Drive, Chip and Putt competition would not be held this year.

“That’s the reality today,” McBride said. “Thankfully, we can offer the recreational golfer an opportunity to get out, and I think that’s important. But I know we’ll obviously all be a lot happier after this (pandemic) ends.”