The most annoying thing for me right now is the total lack of access to water anywhere on the course. When walking, which I preferred even pre-pandemic, in warm weather, it is essential to have fresh water available to refill a water bottle at least every third hole or so. Although some courses provide cart girls on course to allow you to purchase water, most do not, and charge outrageous prices for it when they do. Is it so hard to provide disinfecting wipes at each water station or better yet, add a automatic sensor to dispense water on course? Most courses are even turning off water at or removing access to faucets in on course toilets. This is a serious health issue during summer play so they better figure it out. For now, I am packing 3-4 water bottles in my bag but that doesn’t suffice when it’s 90+ degrees out!

Unless you are wearing a N95 mask you are not protected, the other mask may make you feel safe but are more dangerous to a person than not wearing a mask. You will touch your face on average 30 times a day with a mask if you wear it for extended period you will touch the face more often exposing yourself to disease unless you sanitize your hands right before you touch the face and mask. There are people who believe that sanitizing the hands once is all that is needed, when in the public you must avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth, nose after you have touched anything, this applies weather you wear gloves or not, the gloves must be sanitized as well. With all this being said the chance of a person contracting C19 while out in the public is slim to no chance. Research virus vs bacteria and you will discover why I say this.

I don't mind the 16 minute intervals between tee times here in NJ but securing a tee time is like finding a golden ticket in a Wonka bar. We have 4 of us going in system at the exact time the tee times get released in Monmouth county which has 5 regulation courses and in 1 minute all but 4pm tee times are left.

I would be happy if bunker rakes were gone for good, pool noodles became standard fills for the cup, 10 minutes tee times became standard, and walking became more supported. On that last point, however, there are a lot of courses that just weren't designed with walking in mind--and in the past many courses have charged the same whether you are walking or riding.

I say let's keep the walking 9-hole round as a permanent part of the golf culture!

This entire article is nonsense!
We don’t need a new normal, social distancing, STUPID MASK or any other ludicrous mandates. This a virus like thousands of others that come and go. Back in 1968-1969 the Hong Kong flu was world wide, but common sense prevailed and we survived. The death rate was much higher than Corona, but herd immunity was achieved and we moved on. The death rate for this normal virus is 0.033%, what are we hiding from? Protect the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, but you don’t put the entire world under house arrest. Golfers around the world need to unite and carry on the traditions we are accustomed to. If we continue to hide we will lose our freedoms this country was founded on.

My club has installed a "pin caddy" device attached to the flag stick which allows a golfer to use his putter to pull the ball out of the hole. So, no touching of the flagstick required and the ball still drops into the hole, not bouncing off some raised cup. The problem is that in our case, the pin caddy device has a small wire running down the flagstick (the wire is the size of a coathanger) however, our members are complaining that in some cases, their ball was going to go in the hole but it bounced off the wire instead. Since the rules of golf are specific as to hole and flagstick diameter, this miniscule addition of the hanger has reduced the available opening as well as contravened the rules of golf. (Twice during our game yesterday, one of our guys bounced his ball off the stick/wire and of course, the ball didn't go in....let the moaning and groaning begin! Anyone else come up against this.

My hope is that everyone who is singing the doom and gloom hysteria will finally figure out that Covid is not the worst disease we have ever had. Look at cancer and the millions it kills and very few people think about how to stop the spread. I guess if you look a automobile deaths we should all go back to walking or riding a horse...just something to think about! I love shaking hands and giving hugs and hope we get back to being close and nice to one another again.

Saying there is a "new normal" in any aspect of American society is giving up, and giving in to the virus. Also, it is allowing those that continue to lock down those cities and states beyond reason is creating tyranny and oppression that will destroy this country. Golf is a critical part of the socialization of American life. It must return to the only normal we all know. That is what we all should expect and demand. Whether it is with a vaccine or through the natural way of defeating any
virus - through herd immunity.

Garbage. Im shaking hands, high fiving, pulling flags, tossing empty beer cans in the trees, and taking a wiz no hand wash as always...this whole thing is a hoax!

One thing is for sure things have changed, but some not for the better. Example in my area, most golf course owners are making up for the loss revenue by almost charging double for not only the round but double the cart fees. What a disgrace. Some golf courses that were on golfnow, are not now. Of course the owners have every right to charge what they want. What use to be hot deals, are no longer due to the higher rates. Hopefully as time goes on golf as we know it will get back to some semblance of normalcy. Thanks