Nick Perry, CFNN Reporter

While most sports have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, golf is fortunately still an option for the folks who want to stay active! Golf continues to be played at many courses in North Carolina. While other states such as Florida have made the decision to close golf courses, North Carolinians still have the opportunity to hit the links.

Many precautions are being taken, such as limiting contact, allowing only one person per cart, and extensively cleaning and sanitizing carts after each use. Clubhouses are also closed, and payments are accepted online.

Some courses have created a foam cover over each hole so that players do not have to touch the same surface inside the cup or even touch the pin during a round. These precautions are meant to keep players at a safe social distance and to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

While it has been necessary to stop other sports because they require close contact with players, golf is the ultimate non-contact sport. There isn’t even a cause to get close to other golfers. Golf is about individual skill, even if you are playing as a team. Individual scores are what matter and yes, they contribute to the team, but no contact with competition or with other teammates is necessary.

The governor’s order requires 6 feet between others for social distancing and no more than 10 people together at a time. For golf, this is not a difficult rule by which players can abide. Most commonly, golf is played in groups of four at most, and players rarely come into close social contact.

As hard as these times have been, golf has remained a stress reliever for many people. Even those who did not play before are picking up some clubs to try something that gets them out of the house. If you go out, please remember to follow precautions from the golf course, as well as the CDC. Stay safe, and hit ‘em good!