1 minute read
Supe’s On
Carter DeMay Country Club of St. Albans
Handbook didn’t cover Covid-19
What a crazy year 2020 has been, and we aren’t even done with it yet.
In March, all of our lives have been affected by the still ongoing pandemic. Stay at home orders and social distancing caused us to make changes to our daily lifestyles and Golf Course Superintendentshave faced those same challenges.
As turfgrass professionals, we are very accustomed to overcoming many different challenges, but handling the maintenance of a golf course and staff under a pandemic wasn’t necessarily in the handbook. Many courses and clubs going on spending holds and budget freezes made hiring staff in the early spring difficult to non-existent. All in a world where we weren’t sure when the virus was going to directly impact our lives personally or professionally.
Having to shut down operations for two weeks because of a positive case could not have sounded more disheartening. Golf course superintendents have been handling this dance all year-wanting to continue to keep the number one asset of their facilities in perfect shape, while keeping the staff they care about safe from illness.
The Golf Course Superintendent Association of America has stayed at the forefront of golf and golf course maintenance best interests. Working very closely with its local chapters, Mississippi Valley GCSA, Southern Illinois GCSA and the PGA of America golf has continued to be an excellent option for safe, outdoor activity. Golf has been sustaining in a time where we have seen many businesses and industries struggling or disappearing all together.
My own experiences have seen an increase in rounds of 175% compared to 2019 and, with some of the adjustment’s facilities are making to keep patrons safe, two to four times the cart traffic due to single cart riding. Superintendents are continuing to outperform expectations despite this beautiful but tough golfing environment.
Golf Course Superintendents and their staff take a lot of pride in their work and we all look forward to continuing to use golf as a safe activity to enjoy during this pandemic.
