Golf returns to Bryanston Country Club
The club has put other safety measures in place including going cashless and offering grab and go food instead of sit-down meals.
Golf has returned to Bryanston Country Club and measures are in place to ensure everyone’s safety during the coronavirus pandemic.
The club’s general manager Paul Leishman played a role in convincing the government to open golf courses again and has worked closely with Club Management Association of Southern Africa and Golf RSA during the lockdown. “Like most clubs, we have followed Golf RSA’s guidelines [for safety],” Leishman told the Sandton Chronicle.
“Using the HealthdOCS app to monitor and record all our members has been very helpful. Each member gets a QR code ID that is scanned on arrival at the club and their temperature is digitally recorded.” This allows staff to instantly see a list of all people using the club and see whether they have displayed any symptoms. The club has put other safety measures in place including going cashless and offering grab and go food instead of sit-down meals.
The club has also revised playing conditions, designated bunkers for certain caddies to rake and limited staff interaction. “There are not many things that are safer to do than play golf during this pandemic, unless you plan to stay locked up completely,” Leishman added.
“Golf naturally embraces social distancing and actually offers great mental wellness benefits and physical exercise that can keep you sane in such challenging times. We take our responsibility to create a safe environment very seriously.”
The club has not escaped the economic downturn, however, and hopes to limit member attrition by 10 per cent. “Most [member] resignations are related to people being retrenched or salaries being reduced. We managed to do some good trading with food delivery via our club app but overall food and beverage operations are just ticking along. Golf itself has been very busy since we were allowed to play on 13 June.
“In fact, the club is reaching the maximum number of players allowed per day under the new regulations, and new members are joining. This is thanks in part to a skeleton staff working during the early months of the lockdown to ensure the greens were well maintained. The club has also ensured all staff have received salaries and there have been no retrenchment. Leishman said there was a limited capacity for non-members to play on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday but visitors were welcome.
“Other days are considered peak times and at present are reserved for members. Whether you are playing golf, tennis or just enjoying the tranquility of the Terrace restaurant or 4.2km walking trail, Bryanston Country Club offers a brief escape from Covid-19.”
