Rhett Evans has reached the top of his profession as the CEO of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. Last week he reached the top of another summit, Mount Everest.
Evans, a self-described fitness junkie and outdoor enthusiast in his social media bio, completed a 45-day journey to the summit and unfolded a GCSAA flag he carried with him to commemorate the occasion.
“There are certain places in the world where you can stand, that will change the way you look at things forever,” he wrote on social media. “Standing on top of the world at 29,035’ is one of those places! Onward.”
Mount Everest, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas with the China-Nepal border running across its summit point, is the highest mountain above sea level.
Evans documented his journey, which began on April 2, on social media. On Friday, Evans overcame several setbacks including an injury to his arm and an injury to his leg requiring a helicopter to airlift him for medical attention, to reach the summit at the “top of the world.”
There are certain places in the world where you can stand, that will change the way you look at things forever… Standing on top of the world at 29,035’ is one of those places! Onward. pic.twitter.com/JBhOK6u7oh
According to Ed Several, the GCSAA’s chief marketing officer, Evans also wore GCSAA patches on his outerwear as “a symbol of taking all of the organization’s 20,300 plus members on his climb to recognize the incredible journey superintendents take every day in their essential role delivering a great day of golf for golfers around the world.”
There she is! Mount Everest—known in Nepali as Sagarmatha—meaning "Godess of the Sky”. Clouds cleared for a bit giving me my first glimpse at her immensity. Only 45 more miles to go to get to her base! Join me on Instagram for more – rhettevans1 pic.twitter.com/MUnPWw6WWA
Working with the CDC, golf industry leaders suggest a three-phased approach for sport’s return to normal after coronavirus
Bobby Jones once described the most important part of golf to be those nearly six inches between a player’s ears. These days, even more important is that six feet be maintained between players, as effective social distancing is the best way to keep golfers and course employees safe as the sport attempts a return to normal.
That was the finding of a golf industry collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that resulted in a newly compiled set of guidelines for golf’s return. The effort included the U.S. Golf Association, the PGA of America, the PGA Tour, the LPGA, the National Golf Course Owners Association, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and the Club Management Association of America.
The specific actions issued as part of those groups’ Back2Golf initiative are not brand new in relation to the timeline of the pandemic – most courses that have reopened or that never ceased play already have touted many of the same efforts to keep players and staff safe. But the Back2Golf recommendations are the first time the industry has compiled a list of best practices into one set of guidelines.
Seth Waugh
“It lays out a path to full recovery, whatever that looks like in the new world,” PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said Tuesday during the initiative’s launch. “It lays out the three phases that are important. … This is meant to be a roadmap. A lot of this has already been implemented, and that’s the good news. We’re not trying to be prescriptive and to say this is the only way to do things. What we’re saying is we … believe this is a safe way to do it.”
The three phases should be implemented based on the status of the pandemic in any given locale. They are described as:
Phase 1: Gatherings of no more than 10 people; strict social distancing; walking the course or single riders in a cart; restricted course setup such as preventing balls from falling too deeply in the hole, no touching the flagstick and removing rakes from bunkers; and avoiding clubhouses, golf shops and other amenities.
Phase 2: Gatherings of no more than 50 people; social distancing maintained; normal groups of golfers may play together; restricted course setup maintained; limited clubhouse operations; and restrictions on leagues, events and youth activities.
Phase 3: Unrestricted gatherings; comprehensive sanitation procedures; normal golf operations and maintenance; full clubhouse operations and events; and unrestricted leagues and youth activities.
If these sound very similar to general safety guidelines that have been suggested by government agencies for the past two months, it’s because the Back2Golf organizers consulted with the CDC for best practices. The CDC reviewed the golf guidelines and made several recommendations.
As an example, Jeff Morgan, CEO of the Club Management Association of America, said the first draft of guidelines recommended that workers wear masks and gloves.
“They were really particular that masks were for frontline workers and responders and that we should be referring to cloth facial coverings in the workplace, and that’s what they’re recommending overall,” Morgan said. “Similarly, unless the worker is normally wearing gloves, they recommend not wearing gloves because it creates a false sense of security when it should be a no-touch environment with social distancing.
“In each industry, they want to see social distancing described very particularly. … Their point in golf was you need to be careful that people don’t become complacent and let their guard down. So, thinking about how to describe social distancing in golf and the specific practices, (it is things such as) making sure you have clearly identified your ball when you start play so you’re not picking up the wrong ball and creating a touch point that would not be safe.”
Waugh called the suggestions a “living document.”
“As has been said, we’re kind of flying this airplane as we’re building it,” said Rhett Evans, CEO of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. “We’re all learning as we go through this global pandemic. We’ll continue to update these practices as we go through and learn more about what works and what doesn’t work.”
While the Back2Golf initiative has no power of enforcement over the 16,000-plus golf facilities in the U.S., the groups hope that course operators will comply with the suggestions and with all local, state and national guidelines.
USGA CEO Mike Davis said golfers have a responsibility to behave in a safe fashion in accordance with best practices. (Golfweek archives)
“Part of the operators’ responsibility, once they put those rules in place, is to make sure the players are operating by it,” Morgan said. “It’s not only about their safety, it’s about the staff safety and everyone else that is playing. I would hope that operators are aware of the entire experience and have an obligation to make sure that everybody is abiding by the rules that that facility sets up.”
Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA, said that while it’s difficult to find many positives in the midst of a crisis, golf has an opportunity to showcase itself as a model of how people can begin a return to normal life while safely getting outside for some exercise and camaraderie.
“We’re fortunate to have an opportunity to start playing again that really is dependent on our collective ability to follow social distancing guidelines and to make the right choices when we’re out on the golf courses,” Davis said. “We’re all in this together, so be responsible.”
What states are still allowing golf amid stay-at-home orders and what states aren’t is still a daily question, but it’s also a changing one.
In the U.S., New York state has arguably been hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. Given the high number of positive cases and the death toll, a mandated shut-down of the state’s courses on April 9 wasn’t all that surprising.
According to a new report from the National Golf Foundation, 44 percent of golf courses are still allowing play across the nation (as of the end of last week). That’s a two percent drop from the previous week’s report.
What states are still allowing golf and what states aren’t is still a daily question, but it’s also a changing one. Different states have to address different risk factors – for example, a Florida population that skews much higher in age than most other states – and have approached the topic differently. (In Florida, by the way, golf remains an acceptable activity despite state stay-at-home orders.)
Some players have already learned that an attempt at sneaking around the rules can carry heavy consequences. Three Massachusetts men who played golf in Rhode Island earlier this month were charged with violating a Rhode Island executive order that required out-of-state residents to self-quarantine if visiting the state for purposes not related to work.
It often falls to individual states’ governing bodies of golf to seek clarification and lobby for the industry to remain open, albeit with safety measures – like social distancing – in place. Some states began to address the issue nearly a month ago.
When Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a stay-at-home order on March 24, the Michigan Golf Alliance immediately sought clarification on what it meant for golf. The MGA has continued to lobby on the golf industry’s behalf.
Anticipating that a similar executive order might come down in Ohio, golf industry leaders took the proactive measure of sending Governor Mike DeWine a letter stating their case as a $2 billion industry.
The Golf Course Superintendent Association of America has emerged as a key resource for golf courses, providing everything from minimal maintenance instructions to employee communication templates to town hall meetings.
Among the most helpful GCSAA resource for individual golfers is a database, updated daily, of how executive orders in different states address golf, and what other local restrictions might exist for both play and maintenance. In listing the information, the GCSAA makes clear that its state-by-state list neither constitutes legal advice nor acts as a substitute for each state’s official information. Rather, the list is intended for informational purposes.
According to the GCSAA database, 16 states, including New York, have prohibited golf by executive order. Those are:
California
Illinois
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Pennsylvania
Vermont
Washington
Wisconsin
Alaska is listed as “pending” as its season is still approaching. Hawaii, meanwhile, is split on the issue, with courses on the Big Island remaining open while Mau, Kaui and Oahu courses are closed for play.
Even if golf is not banned in a specific state by governor’s executive order, players may still be barred from their local course by county or city ordinance. Colorado is one such outlier. GCSAA’s listing shows Colorado courses as being generally open for play, but with the final determination left to each county’s health department.
California residents are instructed to contact their city or county for further instruction, with the surrounding five San Francisco Bay area counties reportedly banning golf until May 3.
City and county restrictions also may apply in Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Utah.
In Myrtle Beach, a well-known golf mecca, play is restricted to residents only. Stay-at-home orders are expected in Savannah and Atlanta in the coming days.
As many Midwest and northern courses prepare for the start of their golf season, maintenance can be crucial. The GCSAA also is actively conducting research on this level. The current updates shows that nearly all states are still allowing maintenance to take place. GCSAA lists Michigan as pending, with this explanation: “Courses are still performing minimum basic maintenance, awaiting clarification from governor’s office. Have been told to contact local police departments to work collectively on allowable personnel and practices.”
The GCSAA also notes that town boards of health may restrict maintenance in Massachusetts.
