"Things are changing daily."
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That's the best way Gloucester Golf Club director, Peter Markey can describe the mixed message coming from State Government bodies about what activities are still permitted during this COVID-19 crisis.
Up until recently, individual sports like golf were still permitted so long as the players followed the social distancing rules.
Before Monday, March 30, when the NSW Government issued the Public Health (COVID-19 Restriction on Movement and Gathering) Order 2020, the club had an active course with members abiding by the following rules:
Don't touch the flag stick, bunkers out of play, no swapping drivers, maintain the required distance, each player uses their own scorecard and no more than one person per golf cart.
"Two golf bags are allowed in the cart but only one driver, so the other must must walk," Peter explained. "We even put a piece of a pool noodle in the bottom of each hole so the ball doesn't go down as far."
Then the board received an email on March 30 from Golf NSW recommending that play cease at midnight in line with advice from the NSW Office of Sport. According to Peter, the notification set in motion a scramble of emails between board members to formulate a call to action. Less then 48 hours later, there was another email.
"I received a message at noon on today (April 1) telling us they'd done a backflip and that golf was back on," he said.
Golf NSW issued a statement saying that after reconsideration the Office of Sport determined golf was an activity that could continue to be played in line with the orders. Then there was another scramble among the board and the message went out to the members.
Every other aspect of the Gloucester Country Club is closed, with the exception of take away purchases, so the normal social golf afternoon previously experienced by players is gone for the time being. But for Peter, being able to play golf helps make him feel somewhat normal.
"It's allowing people to get out of their houses," he said.
As of Thursday, April 2, golf was back on at Gloucester's golf course, for now.