DeVries: A Golf Architect's Perspective On Post-Pandemic Effects

Golf architect Mike DeVries considers the long-term effects of COVID-19 on golf in the United States and while I found it calming because I agree with what he writes, I think even those eager to see a return to everything we knew in golf will enjoy DeVries’ calming, sensible tone.

Writing for Golf Course Architecture, DeVries highlights how it might be time for golf in the U.S. to focus even more on how a course plays and less how it looks. And after making several strong points, concludes:

We can emerge from the Covid-19 era with a better idea of what is really important about our favourite pastime. We’ll walk, play, and exercise while engaging with others, and still pursue that little white ball. By simplifying its ‘touches’ and carefully limiting the potential for exposure to the virus, golf maintenance might just deliver us a more sustainable model. Golf may become more affordable and, therefore, more popular to a wider demographic. The ‘grow the game’ initiatives of the last few years have been searching for new ways to interest more people. Perhaps the restrictions and related impacts of this challenging period will point the game back towards its humbler roots and make it more popular than ever.