Boys golf practices begins Monday, and competition on Thursday

Marlee Smith/CHSAANow.com

Boys golf begins practice on Monday, officially kicking off the 2020-21 school year for athletics.

The sport is the first high school sport in Colorado to begin play since the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic shut down the country in mid-March.

The golfers will begin competition on Thursday, when there are eight tournaments scheduled.

Because golf itself is already socially-distanced activity, the structure of the season itself has not been altered. However, there definitely will be differences during competition and practice.

Wrote Tom Robinson, the CHSAA associate commissioner who oversees golf, in the sport’s bulletin: “It is our responsibility that we not only have in place guidelines for mitigating the spread of the virus but that we commit to absolute adherence to them.”

Among those guidelines:

• All scorecards will be digital, using the CHSAA Golf App. Players will attest and verify the scores of their group in this app.
• Practices and competitions must adhere to state, county or city health guidelines.
• The standard CHSAA COVID-19 Requirements & Mandates (found on the SMAC page) must be followed. Included is a daily screening of COVID-19 symptoms, and a mandate that all non-active participants must wear a mask, including coaches and managers. There also shall be no handshakes, high-fives, fist bumps or elbow bumps before or after contests.
• There is no in-person registration.
• Golfers need to bring their own tees, sunscreen, ball markers, etc.
• Golfers must be aware of course rules prior to arrival, including what to do with bunker rakes, pin flags and ball retrieval devices.
• Spectators may not be on the practice facilities. They may remain in their vehicle and meet their player at their tee for their starting time. Spectators must also follow social distancing guidelines unless they live in the same household. After the round, spectators must proceed directly to their vehicles.

This is not a complete list of guidelines. Coaches and athletic directors can find a thorough list in the bulletin.

Boys golf is one of three sports which has been given a green light to begin practice this fall. Softball and boys tennis are slated to begin practice on Aug. 10.

For all other sports, we are patiently and respectfully awaiting a response to our resumption plans submitted to the state’s COVID-19 Response team.