By John Considine
A recent paper in the BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine gathers a range of evidence that seems to confirm the obvious - the risk of Covid-19 transmission in golf is low. It is hard to imagine a sport more suited to our current circumstances. It is a non-contact sport. It is played outdoors on 5km-7km greenways. At most 150 players are spread across this distance. Individuals are socially distanced at ranges from the arc of the golf swing to the flight of the golf ball. In many cases, the only shared equipment are flag sticks and bunker rakes (although the latter have been removed in many cases). Even here the risks are low according to the BMJ paper. The authors (Robinson, Foster, and Murray) cite other work that showed "only 0.74% of COVID-19 virus was recoverable at 1 min in high inoculum when applied to a variety of sports equipment (including a golf ball)".
There should be few problems with reopening the sport but the wider golf economy may take a while longer to recover. Estimates of consumption expenditure on golf were produced a couple of years ago in a commissioned report. Some are reproduced in Table 4.1 below. Many of the items that contribute to the overall total continue to suffer due to the pandemic. The €46m generated from "Food and Beverages" is unlikely to return to these levels anytime soon. A similar point could be made about the fourth, fifth, and sixth items in Table 4.1. These will be hit by the problems associated with international travel.
There should be few problems with reopening the sport but the wider golf economy may take a while longer to recover. Estimates of consumption expenditure on golf were produced a couple of years ago in a commissioned report. Some are reproduced in Table 4.1 below. Many of the items that contribute to the overall total continue to suffer due to the pandemic. The €46m generated from "Food and Beverages" is unlikely to return to these levels anytime soon. A similar point could be made about the fourth, fifth, and sixth items in Table 4.1. These will be hit by the problems associated with international travel.
It is worth drilling down into the €38m figure for Green Fees. It seems pretty low when you consider that there is approximately 400 golf course on the island of Ireland. With a green fee of €50 it approximates to about 6 rounds per course per day. Not a lot. It leaves plenty of tee-times for the members. However, that is not the full story. The distribution of revenues from Green Fees is skewed towards some of the more iconic courses. A prime example is Lahinch. It held the Irish Open in 2019 when Jon Rahm proved best of the bunch. It was expecting revenues of approximately €2m in 2020. Other courses that have held the Irish Open and Ryder Cup are also favourites of the golfing tourists. They were expecting Green Fee revenues measured in the millions. A small number of these courses capture a large proportion of the €38m in Green Fees. Much of it from international tourists.
Many of these iconic courses have associated accommodation. The €37m figure for Accommodation in Table 4.1 will not accrue in 2021. Only when international travel returns to something like normal will these revenues be recovered. In the short-term even the Irish are not free to play whatever course they wish due to national travel restrictions. It is a tough time for a sport that poses a small Covid-19 health risk.
Many of these iconic courses have associated accommodation. The €37m figure for Accommodation in Table 4.1 will not accrue in 2021. Only when international travel returns to something like normal will these revenues be recovered. In the short-term even the Irish are not free to play whatever course they wish due to national travel restrictions. It is a tough time for a sport that poses a small Covid-19 health risk.
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