Eliminating the small risk.

[Maninblack4612]

The main risk from the dreaded virus when playing golf I see as handling the ball after it has been in the hole. Slight, I know, but a risk nevertheless. I carry with me a plastic bag with three antibacterial wipes inside, liberally squirted with antibacterial fluid. I pick my ball carefully out of the hole, put hand & ball into the bag & give it a good twirl. Hopefully this does the trick. It also gets the ball really clean.

 

[North Mimms]

We have a lifty thing. I thought most courses did

 

[Maninblack4612]

We have a lifty thing. I thought most courses did

Your ball has still touched the inside of the hole though, hasn't it? We've got the cups turned upside down but your ball still touches her someone else's has.

 

[ScienceBoy]

It’s a small risk but it is still a risk.

If you feel it’s worth eliminating then do it.

I approach it by cleaning my hands instead of the ball and not touching face/mouth without washing hands first.

That way I get all the possible places in one hit at the expense of the risk I accidentally touch face/mouth/eyes in the meantime.

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

The main risk from the dreaded virus when playing golf I see as handling the ball after it has been in the hole. Slight, I know, but a risk nevertheless. I carry with me a plastic bag with three antibacterial wipes inside, liberally squirted with antibacterial fluid. I pick my ball carefully out of the hole, put hand & ball into the bag & give it a good twirl. Hopefully this does the trick. It also gets the ball really clean.

Thought about this yesterday when we restarted golf. Luckily, I also had antibacterial wipes in the bag so did the same thing.

 

[IanM]

Yesterday I didnt remove my glove to putt and picked the ball out the hole with gloved hand. I used a sanitiser on the glove a couple of times too... and I didn't bother holing out and short ones...

But I know I have been spooked when I found a nice Pro V1 in the semi rough and blooming left it there!

 

[Yorkshire Hacker]

Well I hope you're all wearing gloves when you enter a Supermarket. Picking up packets, tins etc, that others have picked up and put down? Scary!! Life is a risk, and perhaps taking obvious risks is deemed foolhardy, but, honestly, picking your ball out of the modified cup? I give up.
And I'd have had that Pro V1 no question. Grow a pair the lot of you.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Well I hope you're all wearing gloves when you enter a Supermarket. Picking up packets, tins etc, that others have picked up and put down? Scary!! Life is a risk, and perhaps taking obvious risks is deemed foolhardy, but, honestly, picking your ball out of the modified cup? I give up.
And I'd have had that Pro V1 no question. Grow a pair the lot of you.

Why does it bother you if someone else wants to go further than you in eliminating a risk to them?

As for the grow a pair comment, do you have any idea what people are coping with on a day to day basis and what they are willing to do for some normality?

I’d suggest it’s you with the issue rather than them/us.

 

[Yorkshire Hacker]

Ha ha! I thought it would rattle someone's cage. My partner works in the medical world, so she knows a thing or two about what folk are facing, AND she plays golf. She read the comments, and groaned. She knew what was coming before I wrote MY comments. As it happens, it wouldn't BOTHER me if someone performed the task of cleaning the ball after it had been in the cup, so long as it didn't slow the pace of play. I've played three rounds since the resumption, and I've not seen anything like that yet. I've even had the ball thrown back to me by my PP.
But HONESTLY, don't you think that we are all touching so many other items through the course of a day? Supermarkets, (my pet subject), the risks in there must be 100 times that on a golf course.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Ha ha! I thought it would rattle someone's cage. My partner works in the medical world, so she knows a thing or two about what folk are facing, AND she plays golf. She read the comments, and groaned. She knew what was coming before I wrote MY comments. As it happens, it wouldn't BOTHER me if someone performed the task of cleaning the ball after it had been in the cup, so long as it didn't slow the pace of play. I've played three rounds since the resumption, and I've not seen anything like that yet. I've even had the ball thrown back to me by my PP.
But HONESTLY, don't you think that we are all touching so many other items through the course of a day? Supermarkets, (my pet subject), the risks in there must be 100 times that on a golf course.

Oh, didn’t realise you were trolling.

As for your supermarket analogy, no idea, have been in 1 small shop since the lockdown began, living with 3 people with high risk I’ve gone with home delivery.

Will do whatever is necessary to keep my family safe, even if you feel it’s unwarranted.

Glad my response brightened up the shallow world you live in.

 

[Yorkshire Hacker]

If you're living with high risk folk, I respect your concern, no question.
I've never been accused of trolling, so that's a first, thank you. If you knew me, you wouldn't call the life that I've led as shallow, but you don't know me, so that's fair enough.
More laughter from my loving partner when she read your response, apart for the point about your high risk house sharers, we respect your position.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have to be honest and say once I've been back on the course and playing I've not considered the risk about taking the ball out of the hole and having now done so consider it a marginal one compared to the risks taking public transport, using supermarkets or even filling up the car at the petrol station. At the moment I am simply using hand sanitiser when I get back in the car and then wash my hands thoroughly as soon as I get home before doing anything else.

 

[pendodave]

We have weird little inserts attached to our flags which allow us to lift up a metal plate at the bottom of the hole with our putter.
I thought that this might be an EGU initiative, but obviously not.
Golf courses, because of the chemicals they scatter about, have always struck me as the last place to be sticking your fingers in your mouth, so I haven't felt the need to modify my normal behaviour.

 

[HankMarvin]

If you feel it's that much of a risk then simply dont play until it's safe to do so.

 

[Maninblack4612]

If you feel it's that much of a risk then simply dont play until it's safe to do so.

That much of a risk? Did you read what I said, "Slight, I know". I think that it's a small risk which is easily avoided. Why should I stop playing? I don't work, avoid enclosed spaces occupied by other people & am very careful about hand sanitising / washing.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Well I hope you're all wearing gloves when you enter a Supermarket. Picking up packets, tins etc, that others have picked up and put down? Scary!! Life is a risk, and perhaps taking obvious risks is deemed foolhardy, but, honestly, picking your ball out of the modified cup? I give up.
And I'd have had that Pro V1 no question. Grow a pair the lot of you.

It's a risk which is easily avoided. As for supermarkets I agree with you. We have most of our stuff delivered & sterilise it on receipt. If I need to shop I go to our local mini market. I only touch the produce & basket with my left hand, pay contaclessly with my right, sanitise hands before getting into the car & sterilise everything when I get home.

Interesting that you think you & your partner can assess the risk when the experts can't agree.

 

[cliveb]

You're on a golf course. The chances of contracting the virus via indirect secondary contact from someone else's ball is way lower than the risk of being taken out by an errant tee shot, which in turn is way lower than the risk of having a serious car accident driving to the course.

People need to get a sense of perspective.

 

[Maninblack4612]

You're on a golf course. The chances of contracting the virus via indirect secondary contact from someone else's ball is way lower than the risk of being taken out by an errant tee shot, which in turn is way lower than the risk of having a serious car accident driving to the course.

People need to get a sense of perspective.

You've done the research into this?

 

[User20205]

The main risk from the dreaded virus when playing golf I see as handling the ball after it has been in the hole. Slight, I know, but a risk nevertheless. I carry with me a plastic bag with three antibacterial wipes inside, liberally squirted with antibacterial fluid. I pick my ball carefully out of the hole, put hand & ball into the bag & give it a good twirl. Hopefully this does the trick. It also gets the ball really clean.

Good idea. I’ve been playing in a full hazmat suit, you just can’t be too careful. It has presented a few issues, I can’t swing the club properly, the accompanying gas mask really affects visibility & it can get really, uncomfortably hot, but you really can’t be too careful in these unprecedented times

 

[Maninblack4612]

Good idea. I’ve been playing in a full hazmat suit, you just can’t be too careful. It has presented a few issues, I can’t swing the club properly, the accompanying gas mask really affects visibility & it can get really, uncomfortably hot, but you really can’t be too careful in these unprecedented times

This post hasn't got a smiley after it so I assume that you are serious. I think you're overdoing it.

P.S. ?