Sure way to keep golfers at home

All these make golf even more out of reach, but will surely make golfers’ wives happy

Caddies are being given tasks other than assisting players under different guidelines adopted by golf courses nationwide.

Most of them have been converted into stationary forecaddies whose job is to locate the players’ balls and help maintain the course by fixing divots or raking the bunkers.

The idea is to minimize contact between players and caddies, thus lessening the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

And because players can no longer get the services of personal caddies, the use of golf carts has become mandatory in some clubs.

Thus, golf has become more prohibitive to play and could force not a few players to shift to walking or biking for exercise.

At Villamor Golf Club, a popular public course in Pasay City, the cost of playing a round on weekdays has gone up to P3,650.

Here’s the breakdown: P1,500 for green fee, P250 for registration, P500 for COVID-19 mitigation, P700 for golf cart and P700 for forecaddies.

Paying P750 for registration and COVID-19 mitigation is absurd to put it mildly.

If you play on weekends and holidays, get ready to shell out P4,150.

The cost of playing at Villamor would put to shame the nearby Manila Golf Club, the playground of the rich and mighty.

Granting a member can accompany you, the cost is a little over P3,000. Golf cart rental is even cheaper at P300.

Even at the usually inexpensive Veterans Golf Club in Quezon City, the cost of a weekday round is now P2,550, including the mandatory P800 golf cart and P300 tip for caddies.

That used to be P1,450 before golf courses were shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Play at the Philippine Navy Golf Club is now P2,150 on weekdays, including P750 for registration and COVID-19 mitigation fees. The use of golf carts, however, is not mandatory. Sun Valley Golf and Country Club, another public course in Antipolo City, the cost is P2,400, including golf cart use.

All these make golf even more out of reach, but will surely make golfers’ wives happy.

The implementing rules and regulations for golf are set to be released anytime now, and we hope that the role of caddies will be retained subject to limitations in the handling of the players’ clubs.

The cost of playing at Villamor would put to shame the nearby Manila Golf Club, the playground of the rich and mighty.

In some courses, caddies are allowed to touch the clubs except the grips. They wear gloves, clean and sanitize clubs after every use.

Players, on the other hand, cannot hold any part of the club except the grip.

Of course, players can ask caddies not to touch their clubs, their roles limited to handling the pull cart and other duties expected of them.

Whatever the decision would be with regards to the caddies will have a profound effect on how professional golf tournaments will be run in the future.