Why I stopped playing golf
 

Note: I normally play golf 4-5 times a week, love the game, am very skilled at it, and it's my main form of entertainment/exercise. This is not meant to tell others what to do.

So a couple of weeks ago I had an appointment with my Cardiologist. It was routine, nothing major going on. My Doctor is also an avid golfer, so I asked him if he was still playing. He said no, not worth the risk, even if very small. He explained to me that the virus was very contagious, and even though golf is a low risk activity, its catchable almost anywhere. But Doc, I said, I play by myself, not in a group, I wear golf gloves on both hands!

Yes I understand he said, its low risk but not zero risk. You could walk thru a sneeze cloud of infected individual a minute or two after. An infected individual could sneeze on the tee box or green in a group in front of you. Your ball picks up virus, gets on your gloves, you scratch your forehead, you are sweating, virus rolls down to your eyes, nose, mouth. Yes risk is minimal, but not even close to zero. Doctor basically told me to avoid all contact with people, get delivery or pickup of groceries, and lower all risks.

I've read many first person accounts of this virus, from people 20-30 year younger than me, and its like the flu on steroids. I hate even the regular flu, so I don't want this.

So I'm Howard Hughes now. Stay safe

As much as it pains me to say this, I am done playing golf for the foreseeable future unless I can get a guaranteed twosome only with my wife. I won't play with anyone else. I played the other day with my best friend and he just doesn't get it. There was no personal space or social distancing. He is living life like we all did a couple of months ago and has no respect for the very real and potential dangers we all are facing. I will not let that situation repeat itself. Everyone please stay safe.

I think that is a prudent choice.

I live in a home with a beautiful view across a lake to the golf course. Watching people out there every day is a giant pain. I console myself with visualizations of my last round, which was a good one. Plus my back thanks me for the rest!

I understand your concerns. I continue to play on the execs. I walk and carry sanitizer for myself and bleach wipes that I use whenever I touch a ball. Since I walk, when our group plays a scramble format, I usually go retrieve balls that aren’t being used on that hole, using a bleach wipe to pick them up and deliver them to their owner “never touched by human hands”. I also use the wipes on ball markers, tees, etc. It’s a bit of a pain, but it allows me to be out of the house.

The group I play with has been good at keeping distance, although old habits do die hard. But a quick reminder if someone starts to encroach works.

Stay safe. I may be joining you in house arrest if the spousal unit demands.

Its so sad what life is like right now. I watch movies and see people kissing, hugging, touching, licking their fingers and I think nooooooo, then realize that was a different reality. Its so bizarre.

Chinese government has blood on their hands, hiding the severity of the outbreak until too late and 5 million people traveled out of Wuhan and spread this crap all over the world. I like Chinese people, but their predilection for filthy wet markets that are proven to breed viruses has got too stop, but it won't, they are already re opening them.

All that good protection is meaningless if someone sneezes 6 feet in front of you or behind you or to the left or right of you assuming no one is "encroaching" 2-3 feet away and the wind is blowing in your direction unless you plan on gargling or snorting the bleach. Remember, MANY people are Asymptomatic or PREsymptomatic. You never know where you "friends" may have been and picked up something unless you trace their movement (as in travel/shopping) history over the last 5 or 6 days before "the sneeze." Unless you are wearing a medical grade mask you could be SOL.

Good life, my sentiments also. I stopped playing golf 2 week ago.

I only play with myself ! Uuuu, that didn’t come out right!:ohdear:

My husband had no trouble giving up his golf....

Totally agree with you & your doctor. People just don’t ever think it will happen to them. This killer is unknown, lethal, silent, invisible. Stay at home folks, for the sake of everyone.

The governor has issued a statewide stay at home order that is very specific concerning which businesses may stay open and which activities are permitted. This carries force of law and should be obeyed by all citizens.

Those people who go to the grocery store or pharmacy, and those people who go cycling, golfing, walking and fishing are FOLLOWING THE LAW---Get off their cases!

There appears to be a subset of Villagers who are separating themselves into some kind of uber-class coronavirus crusaders. They are EXCEEDING the requirements of the executive order by limiting their activity beyond the scope of the order, whether out of paranoia or ignorance, while some are going around and taking photos of their neighbors who might be violating the order.

It's perfectly fine to stay home, but it doesn't make you MORE law abiding, compassionate, caring and smarter than those that are also following the law. And it certainly doesn't entitle you to call those people idiots, selfish or entitled

There are many who share the blame if one is to assign blame to a natural event. Our great intelligence community, if it had not been eviscerated under the current administration, could very well have identified the issue early on. Just another missed opportunity.

As for Chinese wet markets, why not visit one of our slaughterhouses. I think the experience might very well turn the visitor into a vegetarian.

Let's just not assign blame until we look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we or our government did all that was possible. When this event passes, we might be well served by an investigatory commission to see where not only others failed, but where we failed.

Whoever replied to this post needs to face reality. A governor's order, particularly this one, does NOT give you free license to hide behind it. Stop your foolishness by saying you are now only obeying the law of the state, so you can still golf. How about stop being selfish and notably protect your life but the lives of anyone else that live in this community. Try staying away from golf for a couple of weeks, and expand your horizons into other endeavors.

Thank you.