Speculation- when will the 2021 Ontario golf season start?

[Ignatius Reilly]

is anyone tracking what outdoor activities incur the most Covit relatable infection/deaths?

ie. cycling, running ,tennis, golf.

I haven't seen anything but you would think the numbers are miniscule for all of those. They are all outdoors so the wind disperses the virus, and they can all be done at a social distance.

Races, with crowded starting corrals, would be a problem. But they've all been cancelled.

In the early days when we knew less, we stopped riding together. Later on we rode together but not in a pace line. Eventually got back into a decent line and just asked Rob to stop clearing his nose unless he was at the back

In terms of golf this year there may be some more clarity today, but it's mid January so I doubt Ford will waste time mentioning it specifically.

Lots of things have changed since golf was halted last spring. We've learned that we can golf without causing contagion (yay!) and we've started to vaccinate (yay!) but our numbers are 10 times higher now (boo!) and the virus continues to mutate into more dangerous forms (boo!).

So.... I have no clue what will happen. I also have no influence over it and will lose no sleep worrying about it. I'll play if and when the courses open.

[Clubman]

Queenston and St David’s in NOTL are closed, but waiting on clarification from the government if they can open

[tywl]

Chedoke Golf Club in Hamilton - open tomorrow
Confirmed with a phone call recently at 1:00 pm today (but of course...that could change by tomorrow)

[silentrob]

I can’t really foresee any delays in golf course openings or other outside activities. This first hit in mid-March as far as shutting down business go, and we were golfing a little more than 2 months later in late May. It’s mid-January and while not great numbers now, they will be better in April, added to a ramped up vaccine effort, and the fact that outdoor activities did not seem to drive any increases in case numbers.

[Fore Warned]

This says golf courses are closed.
COVID-19 regional public health measures and restrictions | COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Ontario

Declaration of emergency
In response to the alarming rise of COVID-19covid 19 cases, a declaration of emergency was made on January 12, 2021 for all of Ontario.

Outdoor activities
Downhill skiing, golf courses and outdoor driving ranges are closed to the public. Maintenance is allowed.

Cross-country skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling and dog sledding can stay open, as long as they follow public health requirements.

[Weirfan]

I can’t really foresee any delays in golf course openings or other outside activities. This first hit in mid-March as far as shutting down business go, and we were golfing a little more than 2 months later in late May. It’s mid-January and while not great numbers now, they will be better in April, added to a ramped up vaccine effort, and the fact that outdoor activities did not seem to drive any increases in case numbers.

Hopefully things are under better control by Spring. We haven't peaked yet and that isn't predicted to occur until mid-end of February when daily deaths are expected to be triple digits and daily case counts well over 4000. So from end of February, that leaves about 6-7 weeks until golf season. By comparison, I think we peaked at just over 600 cases a day last April. The 7 day average case count when golf opened was in the 400's, that 7 day average is ~ 3500 currently and has not peaked.
Positivity rates are also skyrocketing ....heard on the radio yesterday it is 17% in Peel or that might have just been Brampton and think they said ~ 5% in Toronto.

We all knew there would be a second wave and that it would likely be bad , perhaps didn't figure it would be this bad. This stay in place order should help, but people need to abide by the restrictions for that to happen. I'm not entirely convinced people are on board. Time will tell. In the Fall we were running with a 7 day average daily case count under 1000 and courses were open. If we can get down to that again by Spring and keep the strain on Health Care down, Then Golf and other activities should be ok to go. Those are my personal ideas, but who knows what Ford and Co will be thinking , they have been all over the map.


we know golf can be played relatively safely, however as we are seeing now with some closures it is just as much about preventing movement of people as it is the activity /service.

[PistolPete]

Hopefully things are under better control by Spring. We haven't peaked yet and that isn't predicted to occur until mid-end of February when daily deaths are expected to be triple digits and daily case counts well over 4000. So from end of February, that leaves about 6-7 weeks until golf season. By comparison, I think we peaked at just over 600 cases a day last April. The 7 day average case count when golf opened was in the 400's, that 7 day average is ~ 3500 currently and has not peaked.
Positivity rates are also skyrocketing ....heard on the radio yesterday it is 17% in Peel or that might have just been Brampton and think they said ~ 5% in Toronto.

We all knew there would be a second wave and that it would likely be bad , perhaps didn't figure it would be this bad. This stay in place order should help, but people need to abide by the restrictions for that to happen. I'm not entirely convinced people are on board. Time will tell. In the Fall we were running with a 7 day average daily case count under 1000 and courses were open. If we can get down to that again by Spring and keep the strain on Health Care down, Then Golf and other activities should be ok to go. Those are my personal ideas, but who knows what Ford and Co will be thinking , they have been all over the map.


we know golf can be played relatively safely, however as we are seeing now with some closures it is just as much about preventing movement of people as it is the activity /service.

I'd bet good money we never see a 7 day average daily deaths above 100. That said 4k cases seems realistic

Reality is LTC COVID deaths will essentially be zero by mid March once they reach full vaccination.

[Gibber88]

Golf is allowed. Chedoke Golf Course still operating winter golf, was given the go ahead by the City of Hamilton. Course is packed. We will see no impact to the start of golf season, if anything courses will be itching to open early with very little else to do.

[silentrob]

I can't see any way these emergency shutdowns last until spring and affect golf. There would be mass upheaval if those business that were opened back up last summer are delayed at all in the spring, not only golf but things like fishing/hunting, boating, horse back riding, etc I would expect all to open for their typical season.

The nightmare in the LTC settings should be mostly dealt with within 60 days or so and perhaps we further vaccinate those in our hospitals and those at a higher risk within that time frame.

I work in a healthcare setting and while I haven't had my first shot yet I understand it's a matter of weeks away, and those here that have had it said it's actually quite a smooth process despite the criticism. That process is still only a few weeks old so over the next month or two they should be able to have it well oiled.

We've seen recoveries outpace new infections every day this week, and were up to almost 15k vaccinations a day.

Let's hope for an early spring and I'll see you on the links in April, Masters weekend perhaps.

[Weirfan]

^^^^
i agree that golf shouldn't be, but they also shouldn't have been last spring. Ford's guidelines are cloudy and he makes decisions by grabbing sound bites out of the air speaking out both sides of his fat mouth. So who know, we can't leave our houses other than for essential reasons now. Who knows what the situation will be come mid April and what Premiere Fat Bstrd will decide to do.
Our golf course is " hoping for the best but planning for the worst case scenario"

as for Fishing and hunting , they were not really impacted last spring ( and Fall) other than a few government docks being closed in the beginning. Fishing was one of the few things many people did, including me. What was problematic though was the fishing tourism industry which is highly dependent on US traffic ( over 80% of lodge bookings) they were devastated by the border closure and many might not survive another season with that.

lets keep our fingers crossed for the best and all do our part to stay home and shut the spread down

[Gibber88]

Chedoke got shut down as of today

[Fore Warned]

I posted this in another thread, but though it should be here too.

What is really disconcerting is that the new stay at home order and the rules made under that order went to great length to reach back to specifically revoke golf courses from a long list of recreational facilities that could continue to remain open.

These kinds of specific changes to government Regulations are not made by some backroom bureaucrat on a whim. Someone in government, in a position of authority, almost assuredly at a political level, forced this change and got agreement on it.

If you think we are going to be playing golf in the spring...I would not be so sure. If the Covid numbers don't get a whole lot better and this order is not revoked or the uses permitted are not changed, to put golf back on the permitted uses list, the chances of that happening are not very good.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally....I found the Order in Council on the Stay at Home Order......
solgen-stay-at-home-order-2021-01-13.pdf (ontario.ca)

And...contrary to what has been posted on previous government sites, (and which still can be found), saying that people "should" remain in their residences, this OIC indeed requires people to stay at home....i.e. People "shall" remain in their residences......

Requirement to remain in residence
1. (1) Every individual shall remain in their place of residence at all times unless leaving their place of residence is necessary for one or more of the following purposes:.....

And....if you look at the most recent schedule of permitted activities under that order you will note Section 4 (2) 9, which used to read "Golf courses and Driving range"......has been revoked.
O Reg 82/20 | Rules for Areas in Stage 1 | CanLII

Interesting that out of a list of 18 permitted recreational activities under that section - golf was the only one singled out to be removed and thereby becoming a prohibited activity.

Who knows what to read into that?

It tells me that unless Covid numbers get significantly better by the spring, we are going to have a difficult time getting that back on the list.

[Weirfan]

I don't think anyone could make a case that golf courses should be open NOW.
They were closed last during the lockdown and so that should be the case now as well. Like it was then, It simply is not a defensible and essential reason to leave one's house.

and Yes, just as with the Spring, it is common sense case numbers will have to be down before they are allowed open.....lets get there.

[Fore Warned]

I don't think anyone could make a case that golf courses should be open NOW.
They were closed last during the lockdown and so that should be the case now as well. Like it was then, It simply is not a defensible and essential reason to leave one's house.

and Yes, just as with the Spring, it is common sense case numbers will have to be down before they are allowed open.....lets get there.

The question is more why someone would make a change to specifically close facilities which are not open at this time of year.

Here is the list of permitted activities from the schedule to the Order. # 9 is where Golf and Golf Ranges used to be.

Many other activities listed here are also summer only activities, which were not removed.

The fact that golf is singled out to be closed, when other similar types of summer activities are not is I think a concern.


Recreational amenities
4. (1) Each person responsible for an indoor or outdoor recreational amenity that is not in compliance with this section, and that is not a facility for indoor or outdoor sports and recreational fitness activities that is permitted to open under section 48 of Schedule 2, must ensure that it is closed.
(2) The following outdoor recreational amenities may open if they are in compliance with subsection (3):
1. Parks and recreational areas.
2. Baseball diamonds.
3. Batting cages.
4. Soccer, football and sports fields.
5. Tennis, platform tennis, table tennis and pickleball courts.
6. Basketball courts.
7. BMX parks.
8. Skate parks.
9. Revoked: O. Reg. 10/21, s. 3 (3).
10. Frisbee golf locations.
11. Cycling tracks and bike trails.
12. Horse riding facilities.
13. Shooting ranges, including those operated by rod and gun clubs.
14. Ice rinks.
15. Tobogganing hills.
16. Snowmobile, cross country ski, dogsledding, ice skating and snow shoe trails.
17. Playgrounds.
18. Portions of parks or recreational areas containing outdoor fitness equipment.
(3) An outdoor recreational amenity described in subsection (2) may only open if,
(a) any person who enters or uses the amenity maintains a physical distance of at least two metres from any other person who is using the amenity;
(b) team sports are not practised or played within the amenity;
(c) other sports or games that are likely to result in individuals coming within two metres of each other are not practised or played within the amenity; and
(d) any locker rooms, change rooms, showers and clubhouses remain closed, except to the extent they provide access to equipment storage, a washroom or a portion of the amenity that is used to provide first aid.

[Ignatius Reilly]

The question is more why someone would make a change to specifically close facilities which are not open at this time of year.

Here is the list of permitted activities from the schedule to the Order. # 9 is where Golf and Golf Ranges used to be.

Many other activities listed here are also summer only activities, which were not removed.

The fact that golf is singled out to be closed, when other similar types of summer activities are not is I think a concern.

Maybe because (despite it being the middle of f-ing winter) a bunch of crazies have rammed the few courses that are open - as Gibber88 pointed out above?

Anyways, it's an utterly unnecessary thing to keep open. It may be as much for simplicity and consistency of message. Non-golfers seeing a full golf course will want their favourite activities exempted too.

The day I worry about the gov't shutting down a golf course in January....

What's important is what they end up doing in April. And none of us knows or has any influence over that so I'm not giving it a lot of thought. At least until Masters week, then Doug Ford better be on High Alert....