6 minute read

Turf or Consequences

from OGSA ONCourse June 2020

by Blenheim

from OGSA ONCourse June 2020, page 20

Managing Problematic Earthworms

The Spring of COVID-19

By Doug Breen, Superintendent, Golf North Properties.

I've never been more proud of Ontario golf superintendents, than I was this spring. Actually, I'm proud of our entire industry. It obviously wasn't what any of us were expecting, when we returned from our much deserved Christmas break. What looked like a typical off season of reel grinding, equipment repair (boy have those carts turned out to be important), seasonal preparation, hiring, and dropping the odd dead ash tree - was thrown into absolute chaos by COVID-19.

Some courses were ready to open on the weekend after St. Patrick’s Day, and it appeared as if we would have one of the best springs in years. Some actually did open for a few days, before the Provincial Order mothballed our early start. Suddenly we were all learning the intricacies of layoffs, EI, CERB, and dozens of other programs. Ontario superintendents had to become emotional support, employment councillors, statesmen, and financial advisors - on top of usual 25 jobs that we do every day.

Then we started watching the Doug Ford show at 1:00 every day, and reading endless articles about virology and statistical analysis every night. And we worried. I heard from owners who didn’t know how they were going to make payroll, and the emotional upheaval of laying off a 20 year employee for the first time. I heard from superintendents who were immunocompromised or taking care of elderly parents, and also knew that the course owner had been paying staff salaries out of their own pocket for months. Many have spouses or other family members in the medical field. We could all see that our industry was in trouble, and yet Italy was on the news every night.

Then came the first glimmers of hope. Kids seemed to handle the disease pretty well. The hospitals in Ontario stood up to the rush. The curve flattened. The real data

was a fraction of the worst case scenarios – thank goodness.

When we got the green light to ‘maintain’ the courses with skeleton crews, I saw some things that really warmed my heart. There were clubhouse GM's cutting fairways. Event planners took orders for takeout food. Golf Pros were helping to cut down trees. As courses got the word that we could start getting ready to open - the tables turned, and superintendents were seen installing plexiglass in pro shops. Everyone sat down with the endless lists of Best Management Practices from all over the world, to try to come up with a set of protocols which would allow each course to re-open, and to reopen safely. On opening day (with 36 hours notice) – all hands were on deck to make sure things went smoothly and safely - and we did it together. I truly hope that we'll be better partners going forward, now that we’ve taken a walk in each other's boots.

When it came time to lobby the Provincial Government (to try to get the golf industry going, to get our staff back to work, and to give some physical and mental relief to the general public) again, we were all in it together. We Are Golf (formerly NAGA) went to Queen’s Park with a common message, “We have only talked about what businesses are essential vs. non- essential; now it’s time to talk about businesses that are safe vs. unsafe. Golf can be played (with additional protocols) in a manner which supports social distancing and safety.” As an aside, I must tip my hat to the cannabis lobby. To go from a felony to an essential service in just over a year is quite an accomplishment. I have a buddy whose mom grounded him for a week and cried for three days when she found a ratty joint in his jeans on laundry day – now she takes it every day. I’d also like to point out the role of social media in all of this. Not the part about how you should inject Lysol or that COVID-19 is caused by 5G towers – the useful part of the internet. I have often said that Facebook is too sugary and sweet, and that Twitter is an angry cesspool – but both platforms were a valuable resource to share ideas, experiences, and failures from around the golfing planet. Take for example, the myriad of ideas that were used to keep the ball from dropping too far into the cup. There were dozens, and we got to see them all – for free – in real time.

It gives me hope, that people have been so willing to work together, locally and around the world. Let’s not lose that when this all ends. Now that Ontario courses are as busy as 1985, it would be pretty easy for everyone to go back to our old silos. A year from now, when we’re jammed with two years worth of weddings, and every company wants to run a golf tournament again – I hope the superintendent will still want to help out on a busy Saturday morning, that the Golf Pro will still want to hop on a mower once in a while, and that we’ll all remember that in the Spring of COVID-19, we all got through it together. ■

We’ll meet you there

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This article is from:

OGSA ONCourse June 2020

by Blenheim