Golf Lockdown

ligerdub wrote: »

Don't expect logic from the guys running the show in this country. This whole situation is an absolute farce. If I were a business owner I would be irate with the government and their authoritarian approach to this lockup of the populace.

The govt and media have somehow managed to skillfully create the narrative that the only 2 options available are shutdown or excessive "precautionary" measures with very debatable efficacy.

People are being tested at huge rates and "cases" are ramping up. Let's start seeing the % of tests that are positive, or better yet let's see the level of hospitalisations. If you don't know you have it then you're not sick. What we're hearing now is that cases are going up and it's all because people can't follow orders. What nonsense!

So let's make the rules more draconian. All to thunderous applause. Give me strength.

So despite having a low level of people getting sick as a result from playing golf this year, we're somehow to expect that those pesky golfers have put the country under threat and we must close down the courses. I'm not buying it, and people need to wake the hell up about this sham.

There is logic in their approach.

Think of it this way. They haven't said, "we are going to look activity by activity and see what is risky and what isn't".

They've said "We need to limit the movement of the population to limit the spread of the virus" and they've taken measures to limit the populations' movements.

There is undeniably logic in that approach. The more people move and mix, the more likely the virus is to spread. They've taken a very general approach in the interests of time, consistency and clear messaging.

Now, you can disagree with their thinking, you can disagree with lockdowns as a means of managing this virus (which I do personally) but you can't go around saying that their approach makes no sense.

It makes perfect sense. That doesn't necessarily mean it's the right approach but it follows clear logic.

ligerdub wrote: »

Well yes, that is true, there is a logic in that severe lockdowns will prevent people spreading certain illnesses of various levels of severity.

However, what they haven't presented is the logic that pretty much shutting down the entire country is the right thing to do from a cost/benefit analysis in any sense, and even in an overall health sense.

And I think that’s a very fair point. I have my doubts that it’s the right thing to do. The way I see it, they have two extreme choices - wreck the economy or let people die most of whom are very vulnerable.

They’re not going to choose one of the extreme choices but they have to choose an option that balances the two. Whatever way they jump, they will do damage to the economy and see people die. There’s no way out because without a vaccine, the virus is going nowhere soon.

For me, they’ve erred too much towards public health and too far from economic considerations. It’s a ****e choice though so I find it hard to be too critical of them.

prawnsambo wrote: »

I also think they've prioritised education.

Yeah they have. Fair point. Again, I understand the reasons why. And it’s another one people can disagree with and put up a strong argument for schools to be shut. But there is sense in keeping schools open.

eoghan104 wrote: »

I dont like buying into the idea that golf has been somehow singled out but its hard not to think that when 15 kids can go to rugby/football/GAA training but not allowed to go for golf coaching.

Not allowed to go for tennis coaching either. A possible reason for the exceptions is that they are often carried out in schools.

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Tennis coaching for juniors is allowed.

If tennis clubs are closed, that probably means schools as well.

prawnsambo wrote: »

If tennis clubs are closed, that probably means schools as well.

Not sure what you Mean by schools? But tennis coaching for kids is most definitely going ahead

eoghan104 wrote: »

Where is golf coaching for juniors allowed?

Any golf facility can open for junior coaching, it's up to them to open for it.

ShivasIrons wrote: »

Any golf facility can open for junior coaching, it's up to them to open for it.

No GUI related facility can or they would have said so. They didn’t advise any caveats

John Divney wrote: »

No GUI related facility can or they would have said so. They didn’t advise any caveats

Perhaps if you looked. This is from the top article on GolfNet

It will also be permitted to open outdoor sports facilities for structured training sessions by school aged children, i.e. those aged 18 years and younger, in pods of no more than 15, under the supervision of designated coaches and in compliance with approved COVID-19 protocols and all relevant public health guidance.

During these training sessions it will only be permitted for participants and relevant coaching and support personnel to be present. In the case of children's sport, parents will be permitted to attend for child safeguarding purposes, however they will be required to comply with social distancing and other public health advice.

Busterie wrote: »

I still cannot see why people can not play golf.
Are they going to ban people walking on Sandymount strand or Salthill promenade?

This was trashed to death during the last lockdown. The experience then was that people completely ignored the 5Km limit to play golf when the partial lifting happened. As I pointed out above, people were ignoring the county lockdowns when they were announced a few weeks ago.

I was out for a walk on my local beach (within my 5km) Friday after work and there was a fourball playing one of the courses thats easily visible from the beach.

I wonder how much of that is going on? I feel like you could be well hidden away on most courses without anyone noticing.

I was a bit jealous, was a lovely evening for it!

Telecaster58 wrote: »

It's more absurd than that. I walk the dog everyday on my local golf course.

Are you a member there? because otherwise you're trespassing.

the greatest game wrote: »

I finished a great game of Golf on Wednesday evening, Word was filtering across the course that golf was to shut down, all over the course golfers keeping distance, getting away from stain of the current situation.

As it happens I too played last Wed afternoon and finished just as the news was filtering out.

the greatest game wrote: »

I had to go in to Dunnes Stores on the way home, it was mobbed, nobody adhering to any distancing, free for all as such.

Buying food is not = to playing golf. You can't stop people buying food. If they aren't distancing in the store they need to take personal responsibility. The supermarkets I use (Aldi and Tesco) both have implemented automatic systems for controlling the number of people in store to a very low level relative to "normal". Once in the store people reach across each other and do all sorts. Not sure how that can be stopped other than by continuous public messaging and personal responsibility. Everyone I've seen (with one exception) in supermarkets wears a mask.

the greatest game wrote: »

Thy GYM movement have got more traction than golfers.. FFS.. they are sharing each other sweat on equipment ?

As well as play golf I use a gym and am equally (more at this time of year actually) annoyed that gyms are closed. FYI gym users do not share each others sweat on equipment. Making such silly claims diminishes the argument you're trying to advance. In my gym (and its the same for friends I've spoken to in other gyms) everyone wipes down equipment after using it using sanitising spray and disposable paper wipes. I use cardio machines (rowing and elliptical) and weight machines and it's just become "normal" to do the new wiping routine as most people always followed a similar etiquette previously but with their own towel whereas now it's with a sanitizing spray and disposable paper towel.

I haven't seen any evidence of spread as a result of gym use nor have I seen any evidence of spread from playing golf but the high profile Golfgate stupidity and some reported golf society outings which resulted in the virus spreading along with a fair amount of breaking of the 5km limit to play golf under the previous stage 3 lockdown have probably wiped out any limited appetite their might have been for making an exception for golf.

Trampas wrote: »

I was out for a run this morning and saw 2 people playing the first hole in my local course.

Hope you didn’t catch anything from them.

First Up wrote: »

Correct. Golf can't be seen to condone or ignore people breaking the 5k limit. Unfortunately closing courses is the only way to stop them doing that.

I find hard to believe that this much thought went into that. It wouldn't make sense. Trying to anticipate people's behaviours when you do x, y and z or not, you get into serious rabbit hole territory there...

I'd say it was a broad strokes decision. And it makes as much sense as most things these days...