BENGALURU: When Prestige Golfshire Club reopened the doors to its golf course on Thursday, after a gap of almost two months, the sport looked far from usual. Hand sanitisers were installed everywhere on the premises and the golfers could be seen wearing masks all the time, including the course, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. Restrictions were put in place even before one entered the premises.
Confirmed online tee timings had to be presented at the gate to be allowed inside. Golfers had to complete a mandatory check up via the Aarogya Setu app as well. This could be a normal procedure for sporting activities in the near future. The golf club, one of the first to reopen in the country, witnessed 45 golfers, most of them its members, in action over two sessions on Thursday. The club has limited the turnout to 75 people per session to avoid crowding. They were given a cart each and they had to drive them themselves around the course.
By doing so, social distancing was maintained. The carts were sanitised before someone else used it.
The club has come up with an interesting innovation, where a ball lifter would take the ball from the cup after the putt has been made by a player. Caddies were also in attendance, but without having to carry the players’ bags. Dressed in full white, they just helped the golfers spot the ball from a safe distance.
In the afternoon session, some of the players enjoyed their putts and drives.
“The experience of coming back and playing has been good. In golf, there is social distancing. Having said that, we have got to be careful,” said Shankar Gopal, who played on Thursday. Karnataka Golf Association and Eagleton Golf Resort are also set to reopen their golf courses on Friday and Monday, respectively. Other golf clubs in the city are also expected to resume operations in the coming days.