Golf is apparently the last game in town, and, according to the head pro at Montauk Downs, Mark Fretto, new rules have enabled the beautiful public course there to remain open for play during the coronavirus siege.
The course did shut down for one day, on March 23, but reopened the next, with the new safety rules in place.
Asked about them, Paul Dickinson, who has competed professionally, said during a telephone conversation on Sunday that Montauk’s golfers had been observing most of the caveats, such as not handling the flagpoles and bunker rakes, and keeping six or more feet apart, as a matter of course. The rules, he said, “kind of evolved from the common-sense things we’d already been doing.”
Aside from the above, Mr. Fretto, who succeeded Kevin Smith as Montauk’s head professional this past fall, said that PVC pipe blocks all the holes so that the balls are easily retrievable, obviating the need to reach down into the cups; that tee times (which require online reservations) are now staggered 18 minutes apart, rather than the former eight or nine; that each player can avail him or herself of a golf cart; that, in the clubhouse, sign-ins are limited to one person per foursome, and that one person at a time is allowed in the pro shop.
There were, he added, “no more walk-ups.” Further, “all of our employees are taking the necessary precautions to keep themselves and the players safe. All are wearing gloves during transactions, every golf cart is wiped down and disinfected before and after use. . . . More safety measures are being added and implemented daily. We’re allowing just one player per cart, and all of the rakes have been removed from the golf course.”
“I think everyone’s pretty happy with these rules, which are designed to keep them safe, and which enable them to continue playing the game they love while at the same time maintaining the prescribed social distances,” said Mr. Fretto, who has not given much thought to private lessons lately, focusing as he is on overall player safety.
While no one was playing Sunday, as it was rainy, Mr. Fretto guessed that there had been 70 or so rounds played the day before, under mostly sunny skies.
John Kernell, this writer’s brother-in-law (and arguably Montauk’s most ardent golfer), was homebound Sunday, watching “Blade Runner” with his wife, Linda, and teenage son, John Henry. He would most likely play Monday, he said, with his golf gloves on as usual, and with a scarf over his nose and mouth.
He had been playing pretty regularly since the coronavirus scare triggered a general sports shutdown a couple of weeks ago.
Surfing was another sport, he said, that one could engage in safely. The surfer numbers in Montauk were up, he said, given the recent influx from the city, but there still was “plenty of room” in the ocean, he agreed.
“Everyone’s wanting to stay active, to be outside while staying safe,” he continued. And golf was offering that outlet.
When this writer said he now regretted not having taken up the sport, Mr. Dickinson said by way of encouragement that he’d seen “a guy the other day who was playing with one club, an iron. He’d whack the ball and move on.”
Editor's note: On April 9 Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo added golf courses to the nonessential businesses list, closing them until at least April 29.