The links are open, with multiple safety precautions in place

Written By BRIAN LOCKHART

If you're a golfer, this is a good time to enjoy your sport.

With only two sports so far getting the okay to play, the other being tennis, there has been an upsurge in the amount of interest in getting out on the links for 18 holes.

The fact that golf is played outdoors with a natural distance between players means it was one of the first sports to get the green light from the provincial government to allow play.

The Shelburne Golf and Country Club has been open for a month and there has been a steady stream of golfers waiting for their chance to get out on the course.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still a factor, the Club has taken a lot of precautions to ensure social distancing is in place.

They have also started some new measures on the golf course to ensure players are safe.

You no long have to drop your ball in the cup. To avoid creating a germ trap on the green, the holes are now equipped with a raised cup around the hole.

If you putt and your ball hits the cup, it is considered a ball in the hole.

The Club is also requesting people book a tee time and has been spacing player's times for their chance to get on the course. This means a good distance from the group ahead of you while you're on the course.

“We've been open since the 16th of May,” said Club general manager, Megan Young. “Golf was allowed to open before anything else. When people arrive, we're asking them to stay in their car until 20 minutes before their tee time. At which point they can come into the club house. We're only allowing four in at a time. We're encouraging people to book their tee times on-line. The idea is to have one group on the tee and only one group waiting so we're really eliminating the number of people hanging around at the starting area. We've increased our tee time intervals by 25 per cent so we are noticing there's a big gap between groups out there.”

Around the club house there are two separate areas for after golf socializing. One area is called the COVID-19 patio with seating spaced at a distance. There is also a household and social bubble area for people who either live together or are in the same social bubble.

That area allows a maximum of ten people at one time.

“We have raised cups so that the ball doesn't got into the hole,” Megan explained. “That prevents people from having their hand in the hole and contaminating and spreading. All the ball has to do is hit the raised cup, and it's in. When it comes to the driving range, we are open, but we are allowing only six people on the driving range at one time and eight people on the practice putting green.”

The club sanitizes the balls and the golf carts after every use. They even hand you the key to your cart with a pair of tongs so no one touches the key.

The rules of play may have change slightly but it's still the same great game.