Golf courses in Palm Beach County have been closed for three weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped the industry from doing what it does better than the other professional sports combined.
Provide help to others.
More than a dozen private clubs in the county have “adopted” a nearby hospital to provide money and food for healthcare workers, who are risking their lives and working ridiculously long hours during the crisis.
“This is part and parcel of what golf is. Almost $4 billion is raised for charities on an annual basis in the US,” said Geoff Lofstead, executive director of the South Florida PGA, which is spearheading the local healthcare workers’ assistance. “Golf facilities have always been the leaders in philanthropic efforts.”
Paul Clivio, longtime PGA Director of Golf at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, saw a club in New Jersey was helping a nearby hospital when he suggested to Lofstead that the South Florida PGA adopt a similar program. It started in Palm Beach County and hopefully will extend throughout South Florida and the Treasure Coast.
Lofstead had his staff reach out to the 20 hospitals in Palm Beach County to identify their needs. Some hospitals, for instance, don’t want outside food brought in for fear of contamination. They instead are receiving money to provide a free meal or gift cards they can distribute to workers.
“I knew we had to do something to help,” said Clivio, president of the Southeast Chapter of the South Florida PGA. “We came up with the idea of adopting a hospital. We have seen how hard these front-line people are working and many of them are doing it without a chance to eat properly. It’s a way we can help others who are saving lives.”
St. Andrews donated $4,000 to Boca Raton Regional Hospital last Friday to feed 400 workers. Clivio said $3,000 came from St. Andrews’ board and the other $1,000 from the club’s ladies golf association, which didn’t have a chance to stage its annual championship because of the course closing.
“It was meaningful and it provided a nice break for our staff during a stressful time,” said Mark Larkin, president of the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation. “We had another program today where everyone got to eat free gyros.
“The response from St. Andrews and the community has been so overwhelming we are asking people to coordinate donated food through the hospital. We don’t want a bunch of people showing up with food on the same day.”
Gleneagles Country Club donated 150 lunches to Delray Medical Center last week and gave 150 Easter treat boxes. The Country Club at Mirasol sent lunches and gift cards to Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach sent food to Good Samaritan Medical Center.
“Ernie’s is a more national, more structured program,” Lofstead said. “We’re doing the same thing, but more on a local, grass-roots level.”
The South Florida PGA also has asked area junior golfers, who have been unable to compete because of the coronavirus, to write letters to children in hospitals. The South Florida PGA had to stop its Smiling Fore Life program where PGA Professionals visit children in local hospitals.
South Florida golf courses have been hit especially hard by the coronavirus. Courses in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties have been closed for weeks – the only three counties in Florida to do so – because the number of COVID-19 cases are the highest in the state.
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Even though golf courses in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Lee and Collier counties remain open, the coronavirus has taken its toll throughout South Florida golf.
“It’s had a dramatic impact on everyone,” Lofstead said. “Either you’re closed, and you want to be open. Or you are open, and the employees are working in very challenging situations.”
The hospital-adoption program is a way for the golf community to give back before eventually returning to the game they love – whenever that is.
“I want my members to play golf, but I want them to be safe,” Clivio said. “When we re-open, it will be a safe place to play golf.”
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Among the Palm Beach County private golf clubs who have “adopted” a hospital during the coronavirus pandemic:
St Andrews CC — Boca Regional
The Club at Quail Ridge – Bethesda East
Bear Lakes CC — Good Samaritan
Delarie CC – West Boca
Gulf Stream Golf Club – Boca Regional
Seminole – St. Mary’s Medical
Addison Reserve – Delray Beach Medical
Loblolly* – Jupiter Medical
Eastpointe – Wellington Regional
Frenchman’s Creek – JFK North Campus
BallenIsles – Palm Beach Gardens
Lost Tree – Jupiter Medical
Gleneagles Country Club – Delray Medical.