‘A bad day of golf always beats a good day of work’, goes the saying, so perhaps it’s no wonder golf is experiencing a spike in interest, with many crediting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reports from around the traps are pointing towards increases in club membership as people find a physical outlet in a time of cancelled football, netball, and soccer competitions.
Premier Daniel Andrews, himself a keen golfer, drove a wedge in the golfing community earlier this year when he banned the game under Stage 3 restrictions in an effort to contain the spread of Coronavirus. However, since re-opening in early June, golf courses have experienced a boom.
Lockdown 2.0, which starts tonight, means golf will be limited, but not off the cards. Normal tee-off groups of four have been pared back to two, and competitions have been suspended.
Meanwhile, the Shepparton, Mooroopna, and the Hill Top Golf and Country Club in Tatura have all reported a jump in membership of around 10 percent.
New members are bringing the average player-age down too, with many of those now hitting the fairways between 20 and 40, well below the average nation-wide member age of 56.
Shepparton Golf Club general manager, Russ Powell, said member numbers had tee’d off since the initial lockdown ended.
“Plus, new members play the most, so it’s noticeably busier,” he said.
At the Hill Top Golf and Country Club, manager, Geraldine Pollard, reported at least a 20 percent increase in tee-off numbers, with more younger people getting on course.
“It’s absolutely been popular since the pandemic, because it was one of the few sports you were allowed to play for a long time,” Ms Pollard said.
“Plus, with the good rain and now a mild winter, the courses in the area are in fantastic condition.”
