ZGA applauds clubs for grounds maintenance

ZIMBABWE Golf Association (ZGA) has applauded clubs for devising ways of maintaining their facilities during the Covid19 pandemic.

Martin Chikwana, ZGA vice-president ,said Covid-19 affected maintenance of golf courses as club employees were asked to stay at home, leaving only a skeleton staff operating.

He said by the time the ban on golf was lifted, a lot of damage had been done to golf courses.

“The impact of Covid-19 has also been financial. Clubs didn’t have income and inflation hasn’t been kind to them. Members that normally contribute to the maintenance of clubs are only allowed to pay in local currency, which hasn’t helped,” said Chikwana.

Strict guidelines, which include banning of caddies on the course, have also taken away the excitement in golf, with golfers failing to complete their rounds.

Golf has been classified under low risk sports and given the green light to resume activities following the relaxation of Covid-19 lockdown rules in May.

Other sports allowed to resume activities are athletics, cycling, triathlon, cricket, angling, polocrosse, tennis, shooting, rowing and equestrian.

Chikwana said their members are reporting that adhering to strict health guidelines, which include banning of caddies, has been challenging.

“It’s tough (playing under present restrictions) and there are so many challenges. We are able to play, but with no competitions and the practice of social distancing means we can’t socialise after a game. Remember, socialising is one of the cornerstones of playing golf,” said Chikwana.

“Economically, caddies, who form the core of our way of playing, are not allowed, which means many players cannot complete many rounds because the golf bags are too heavy for them to carry and play at the same time. Golf clubs and restaurants are still closed as we haven’t got the go ahead to reopen.

“For clubs to function efficiently, they need players on the course. However, at the moment players are only allowed on the course from 9am to 4pm. This means the clubs’ income has been seriously reduced as they can only have at most 90 players a day compared to 170 players we normally have,” he said.

Chikwana, who misses being on the golf course with his friends and doing business on the course, is among players that have failed to complete two rounds of golf.

He says most golfers that have been using the game to create business opportunities have been dealt a big blow by the stringent restrictions.

“It takes about four hours 30 minutes to play a round of 18 holes, so you can imagine how close you can be with whoever you are playing with. Naturally you become acquainted by the end of the round and in most cases you become friends. Business discussions often start when playing golf and are usually sealed after the game. So you can imagine how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected businesses and companies that use the sport to bring together the business world and clubs,” said Chikwana.

Meanwhile, Chikwana said he hopes Bulawayo City Council will resolve the issue of part of the Harry Allen Golf Club being converted into residential stands. “As ZGA, we haven’t had a report from the club to say they have issues, so I’m not able to comment based on newspaper reports. Our position as ZGA is that we are always ready to engage councils to avoid situations of allocating land earmarked for golf to land developers,” Chikwana said. — @ZililoR