COVID Log: Golf Industry Layoffs, Course Closures, and Helping the Front Line

It’s been 16 days since Illinois was issued a shelter-in-place order. As we continue to make the best of a terrible situation, the golf industry’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak has been an interesting ride. While not for entertainment value by any means, tracking the response is almost unavoidable as millions of Americans take to social media (and interpersonal networks) to learn how the virus is affecting the game we love.

Golf Courses Are Closed in Illinois

Despite an initial confusion immediately following the Governor’s order, golf courses in Illinois remain closed for play. Most of the Midwest, of course, is slowly warming up from the typical stretch of cold weather, meaning many golfers in our area are ending their golf hibernation.

There is cause for concern about how all golf courses/clubs in IL will bounce back from a closure with no end in sight. Conversations with industry friends in the area turn bleak quickly, often questioning the decision to close courses while large public parks remain open. It also appears that there is no standard for what constitutes the declaration of an “essential business” as neighboring states continue to golf while abiding by federal social distancing orders.

We all agree that remaining indoors as much as possible is the best way to flatten the curve. I fear this mutual understanding will become cloudy — and ignored entirely — as temperatures continue to rise. Providing an outlet that spans multiple acres for the public to take advantage of seems like a reasonable distraction from what is otherwise the worst pandemic in a century. Golf goes beyond battling boredom, but rather offers a safe, controlled athletic opportunity for the public.

Brands Resort to Layoffs While Others Hold On

Unemployment claims continue to rise across the nation at a record pace, and the golf industry is no different.

Callaway Golf, TaylorMade Golf, PING, and others have resorted to layoffs at both the corporate and regional levels in the last week. Large brick-and-mortar retailers like those under the Worldwide Golf Shops umbrella remain closed. Most operations at online retailers like Budget Golf are running via skeleton crews, while focusing on paying their employees through at least the month of April. Stimulus Bill details remain cloudy for these businesses as leadership reviews their eligibility with lawyers and lenders.

Other brands in the textile space have stepped up to provide protective masks to front line healthcare workers. Seamus Golf is selling cloth masks to the public at a relatively high price tag of $100 for a pack of five, which includes a concurrent donation of five masks to healthcare professionals. I have mixed feelings on this approach. What essentially equates to $10 a mask, the entry point for what could be considered a higher-end golf accessory brand prompts a double-take at a minimum. Especially when competing brands like Stitch Golf are producing and donating masks to the front line without first selling to the public.

Yes, independent brands come in all sizes and capital resources. Any brand doing what they can to contribute to the fight while retaining employees is commendable. Data suggests, unfortunately, that our nation will hit its healthcare peak by mid-April, meaning these brands may be asked to contribute protective equipment of any kind at a much higher rate.