From Captain Harvey King
I hope that you all had a good holiday season and are ready for 2021.
Unfortunately, things have not yet really changed much this year regarding Covid-19 even though vaccines are becoming available.
Your Executive Committee has reviewed the Startup decision for Country Meadows and has decided that our March 3rd 2021 opening day must be postponed.
We very much want Club golf, with random draws, to be safe and the following issues influenced our decision:
The pandemic continues – daily new cases are 3 to 4 times larger than when we suspended play in March, 2020.
People our age are affected more severely when we get Covid-19.
There are now 2 or 3 new variants of Covid-19 and while they have really not gained a foothold in B.C. yet they are really dangerous.
While the “Curve” has recently shown signs of flattening it is still at a very high level of new daily cases.
Public Health is warning us all to be more cautious in our social actions.
Vaccine delivery has become sporadic so the Health Authority does not know what the schedule is going to be and when you and I are actually going to get vaccinated.
We are therefore postponing Club play indefinitely. We will be monitoring the situation very closely and will let you know of any changes. Frankly, I think that the progress in vaccinating our member's age group will determine when it is safe to open the Club with random draw play again.
In the meantime, we have arranged, as we did last year, with the Country Meadows course for them to set aside a block of time on Wednesdays giving Club members who are comfortable golfing at this time, and who have regular foursomes, priority for tee times. Presently, 9:00 to 10:00 has been set aside. More details on this will be sent out by Brian Pearce, 2nd Vice Captain, shortly.
I know that many of you who will be golfing in the spring will wish to maintain your handicaps. Wayne Eklof, our Handicap Chair, has made some adjustments to our software and he will be sending out instructions to you all shortly showing you how to enter your scores directly online.
Your Executive Buddies will be giving you a call in the next few weeks to make sure that you are up to date with club happenings and to answer any questions that you may have.
I know that the postponement of Club play is a disappointment to you all. Like you, I was really looking forward to seeing you all and golfing in March. But, as a group, we have been pretty successful in avoiding Covid-19 so far and I think that continued caution is the way to go.
Savage Creek Senior Men’s Golf Club has also taken the same steps and is suspending play, too.
I will keep you up to date on our plans as we progress through the next few months.
Please stay safe.
Harvey King, Club Captain
