Fore's a Crowd
Bloomberg Businessweek|May 18, 2020
Social distancing has always been part of golf, but the pandemic is pushing clubs to extremes.
Michael Croley
Fore's a Crowd

It was in the first week of May when I, deep in the grip of self-isolation, finally stole away late in the day for an emergency nine at the golf club near my home in Granville, Ohio.

The course fits right in with the Victorian quaintness of our little village: Its front nine, a Donald Ross design commissioned to accompany the construction of the Granville Inn in 1924, is a compact, enjoyable walk over mild hills with Ross’s signature back-to-front sloped greens. I ventured out that evening because I needed the air, and I needed the satisfaction of a good drive off the tee or a well-struck iron to feel some semblance of normal.

Governor Mike DeWine issued a stay-at-home order on March 16, but Ohio was one of the few states to keep courses open through much of its lockdown. Now that most courses are on track to reopen—Massachusetts was the last state to lift its ban on May 7—I got a look at our new reality.

Golf is one of the rare sports that by nature allows us to compete at a remove. You don’t have to share clubs or balls; if you’re alone, a round of golf just about qualifies as the very definition of social distancing. And yet, over the past two months, new rules to keep guests safe have become standardized quickly.

Most clubs are implementing a one-rider per-cart policy unless both live in the same household. On the course, there’s no touching of the flagstick, and barriers prevent putts from even falling into the cup—hitting the bumper counts as a hole. (Few are keeping serious score these days, anyway.) “In 35 years, I’ve never seen this much industrywide collaboration,” says David Pillsbury, chief executive officer of ClubCorp, which manages more than two hundred 18-hole courses.

This story is from the May 18, 2020 edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the May 18, 2020 edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEKView All
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App

The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts

time-read
4 mins  |
March 13, 2023
Running in Circles
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Running in Circles

A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Bloomberg Businessweek US

What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort

Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.

time-read
10 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
Bloomberg Businessweek US

How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto

The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
The Last-Mover Problem
Bloomberg Businessweek US

The Last-Mover Problem

A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Tick Tock, TikTok
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Tick Tock, TikTok

The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria

A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Pumping Heat in Hamburg

The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge

Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
New Money, New Problems
Bloomberg Businessweek US

New Money, New Problems

In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023