Huntly Golf Club Open for Golf

“YES, We’re Open” says the Huntly Golf Club advertisement. After six weeks of forced lockdown
the club got rolling again under COVID Level 3, with upside down cups on the greens and then
two weeks later advanced to flags once again under Level 2. The use of foam buffers in the cups
mean player do not have to take the flagstick out, or reach down too far when retrieving their golf
ball.
Over the first four weeks the COVID Register shows that there was a continuation of the increase
in demand to play golf compared with last year. In fact it is probably the most active the Huntly
course has been over the past five years. The excellent condition of the course has a lot to do
with the resurgence in numbers.
Visiting Group Sundays have recommenced with a good turnout last Sunday. Clubroom tables
have been reduced to three chairs per table and the round buyer becomes a volunteer waiter for
their table. Fresh glasses each round ensure minimal surface touching and waiters are expected
to use the antibacterial bottles to clean their hands before swiping their EFTPOS cards and
delivering the new glasses back to the table.
The biggest learning for golfers was to putt the ball firmer at the raised cups. Now the open holes
have returned, golfers are no longer leaving their putts stop short, as they did pre COVID. Who
said there were not positives from the Pandemic!