We already have known that Coronavirus or COVID-19 is going through a pandemic situation throughout the world. As we can’t stop the transmission of this contagious virus, we can restrict its spread. That’s Why all office organizations strictly recommend maintaining safe social distance along with lots of precautions for essential chores. And request the people to stop doing the works that can avoid and also not necessary.
Golf-related activities are not out of these social distancing measures because we all require some recreations in our daily lives to fight against this dangerous virus. It isn’t easy to stop doing health-enhancing physical activity that we love, even passionate golf games. That’s why the residential Golf club communities decide to re-open the courses because golf-related exercise benefits the immune function of the human body. So every casual golfer has to strictly follow the instructions to keep all persons on the golf course safe.
Besides, golf is a kind of game that can easily play by maintaining social distance. However, we get the vaccine for this life-threatening virus but don’t know that all golf industry members come under vaccination programs. Even we get information to attack by this infectious disease after getting vaccinated. So we all should have to go along with all the precautions that keep us safe because it is also cardiovascular disease. This article discusses how we continue golfing safely by following the precautions that prevent this acute virus by stopping disease transmission.
Table of Contents
- 1 CDC’s (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) safety tips to prevent the spread out of Covid-19 within the golfers
- 1.1 1. Sanitize the course and all the golf equipment
- 1.2 2. Maintain social distancing rules while playing.
- 1.3 3. Use an individual golf cart.
- 1.4 4. Don’t remove the mask while staying at the course.
- 1.5 5. Don’t linger around the course and leave as early as possible after golfing.
- 1.6 6. Don’t borrow golf equipment from others and bring extra.
- 1.7 7. Bring your water bottle and snacks in the golf bag.
- 1.8 8. Leave the course after sanitize yourself.
- 1.9 9. Follow the guidelines of the National and Local Authority.
- 2 Trump hits the golf course for the first time during pandemic
CDC’s (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) safety tips to prevent the spread out of Covid-19 within the golfers
1. Sanitize the course and all the golf equipment
COVID-19 has a crown-shaped outer surface that helps it stack on any hard substance’s character; we use it in our daily lives. This virus enters our body from the dirty things, especially to the lungs through the nose, getting a touch of grimy hands. Therefore, after taking or touching anything, we should wash our hands for 20 seconds with soap or a sanitizer. The soap or sanitizer chemical helps wipe out this crown part of the Coronavirus that can stack on your clothes. Sanitization is the crucial thing that keeps us away from COVID-19, and we all have to clean ourselves and wear basic kits like a mask, face shield, hand gloves before going out. So before starting a journey, you have to cleanse all types of golf equipment, like golf clubs, balls, irons, drivers, with a sanitizer carry in your golf bag, including the bag itself.
You also have to wipe out the entire golf cart with a mild sanitizer. Because there also has the possibility of having this virus. In the same way, you have to sanitize your hands before cleaning your golf equipment. Ensuring the sanitization of yourself and all you carry to the course, you also must confirm that the system is safe for you. In the current Covid-19 pandemic, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the Local Authority grant the guidelines for protecting the spread of COVID-19. It would be best to confirm that the course authority sanitizes the whole golf greens by following these guidelines before playing there.
Related: How to practice golf swing at home?
The CDC provides three specific guidelines for social distancing in this coronavirus pandemic –
- Stay away at least 6 feet from other golfers
- Avoid gathering with friends and acquaintances
- Keep away from any mass assembly.
You can easily maintain the six-foot social distance on the course driving range on this pandemic golf condition. According to social distancing instructions, this microscopic virus can stay in the human body without showing any symptoms, so stop yourself from making any cheer through a handshake, fist-bump, or bro-hugs. If you see any symptomatic player, immediately leave this course and make everyone stop playing if he has any minor symptoms of COVID-19. Besides, the single thing that you have to do carefully is to set the tees and sticks. It will be helpful if you take the tee box one by one. Moreover, try to peg your bars after another golfer stepped off his tee boxes. Golf enthusiasts with indoor facilities should avoid going to the natural golf course to keep the outdoor environments clean and safe.
3. Use an individual golf cart.
According to the COVID-19 protocols, the Golf Association advised you to use the single cart without sharing it with your partners. The golf cart may be a significant issue that can transmit this virus to your equipment. If it is possible, then try to avoid using the golf pushcart for your golfing. It will be best to use your push-pull cart or lightweight carry bag to carry the pack and other necessary equipment. Walking is the best preventive measure to avoid getting a touch of this COVID-19 virus because another golfer has a chance of contamination. Another thing that you should avoid is not to hire a cart or pushcart for roaming around the course. It will be a high risk for you.
4. Don’t remove the mask while staying at the course.
As this Coronavirus enters the body through the nasal tract, you must wear a mask when going out for golf. While golfing, never take away the face mask from your mouth, and don’t touch the cover with your hand. And keep the fingers away from your mouth, nose, or any other part of your face. Because of this, a virus can mound in your finger or palm that can quickly get into your nose. The most important thing is that the Experts show that the spread can stop up to 95% if everybody uses a mask outside of the home. This research result means if you wear a mask while wandering outside, you have only a 5% chance of getting the contamination through this Coronavirus. So you must wear a mouth and nose area protector on the golf course to get the benefits of golf and keep yourself in the safe zone.
5. Don’t linger around the course and leave as early as possible after golfing.
In this pandemic situation, we should stay at home and never go out without any emergency. However, we all think about the mental health benefits and keep positive thinking and refresh the mind through any recreational game like golf to overcome this pandemic. Without any recreation or refreshment, anybody can get depression while staying at home for a long time. That’s why the Golf Association authority re-opened the golfers’ courses who want to continue their golfing and get benefits of golf still at this burden of disease.
The golf division recommended activity benefits immune function that is crucial to increase life expectancy where we don’t know how to lower the Getty images of the Covid-19 virus. You can continue your golfing because there is no mass assembly, and possible to maintain the social distance that helps lower infection risk. But the most crucial thing you should follow is to leave the course as early as possible after completing your round. It is all amateur golfers’ responsibility to keep safe all things around you, including your family and friends. So never try to gather with other golfers in the golf course’s public space like a canteen or parking lot.
6. Don’t borrow golf equipment from others and bring extra.
There is more chance of losing tiny golf accessories like tees, balls. So you have to carry the extra accessories in your bag when you go to play. It is not the right time to take supplements like a golf ball or tees from your golfer friends. The chance of contamination will increase when more than one people use the same equipment. Therefore, load all the necessary equipment in your bag before starting the journey to the golf course. You should also avoid taking golf facilities from other golf partners.
7. Bring your water bottle and snacks in the golf bag.
If you plan to stay on the course for a long time, then carry all the beverage options like an extra water bottle, snacks with hand sanitizer, and other protective measures in your golf bag. Yet, it is not sensible to take any food on the golf course canteen in this pandemic situation. Perhaps, some courses offer a facility to get drinks and beverages, but you should avoid taking any food from there. Still, you want a break or tea time, then sanitize your hands properly before taking any snacks or drinking water.
8. Leave the course after sanitize yourself.
When you play on the golf course, you may not get the same safe environment as the green golf space you see before. But you have to adjust to this adverse situation if you have to continue your golf and refresh your mind and health. While playing, use sanitizer as needed and maintain the guidelines of the course authority. Still, you may have a chance to carry the virus getting while golfing. So, before leaving the course after completing your round, please sanitize the equipment and yourself correctly. It will help to avoid the possibility of spreading this COVID-19 through you or the material used for golfing.
9. Follow the guidelines of the National and Local Authority.
As responsible citizens of the country, we should follow our National and Local authorities’ recommendations on golf. And in this epidemic situation, extra precautions are needed for the safety of the people, even the whole world. The golf course is not out of these additional preventive measures. You have to follow the guidelines to keep the safety of the sessions and the golfers. Because your safety depends on your activities, you should not do anything to facilitate the COVID-19 transmission of this severe virus.
Trump hits the golf course for the first time during pandemic
Final Words
Still, the vaccination programs continue throughout the world for this COVID-19 virus that is dangerous and life-threatening; the infection percent increase in many areas of different countries. That’s why The USGA arrange a few professional golf events without any visitors and audiences thinking about the remarkable effects of golf training on golfers’ immune systems.
So, except following the Medical Director of Golf & Health division guidelines to restrict it’s spreading worldwide, we have nothing to do without arranging campaign activities to aware people. We also have to do something to gear up our daily frustrated quarantine life by refreshing the mind. Golf is one of the best athletic sports to improve our mental health. The possibility of maintaining physical distancing is high in the golf course than in any other sports ground. So do not take more stress on your mind; go for your passion game, golf without any hesitation, follow the regulations, nothing else.
Play safely and stay safe.