No one saw this coming. No one knows how this will end.

We are now well into the COVID-19 era. We know how it started but we don’t know when it will end. Most importantly what will our lives look like when this pandemic is behind us?  How will golf be affected and how will the way we go about our daily lives change? Yes, plenty of questions, and at this point, not many answers.

For now, golf is managing pretty well. Many businesses have been closed due to the fact that they bring people together in relatively small areas. Golf on the other hand allows people to exercise in an environment that gives players plenty of space. We have altered the course to allow the game to be played without having many common touch points.  We allow golfers to use their own cart. Food and beverages are available but not inside the building. Golf seems like an ideal way to spend your recreational time in this germ filled world. But what does the future hold for our “normal” lives? One thing is for sure, our lives will change.

There’s talk now about social distancing lasting well into 2021. If that’s the case, what will happen to the entertainment industry? No concerts, sporting events, movie theaters or even family reunions. Yes, our lives could go on without those activities but that knocks out a big segment of the U.S. economy. Then there’s church on Sunday. How are we going to adapt to church services on a laptop? Will our social circles be broken, and our social fabric turn to dryer lint? And finally, what will the restaurant and bar business look like from this point on? Social distancing is not good for the economy, as far as I can tell.

I would not want to be in the commercial real estate market right now. How many companies out there are coming to the realization that they can operate efficiently while employees are at home? Will office space become a thing of the past? Will everything we purchase from a store be ordered online, processed at a fulfillment center and delivered by a freight company? This would even include food, and since restaurants will be suffering and closing their doors, you’ll be eating at home much more often.

This blog post is filled with plenty of question marks, and no one alive on this planet has ever been through this situation. One thing is for certain, our lives will be changed when this is behind us. This is truly a fork in the road and most every part of our life will be different as a result. I’ve never been happier to work in an industry that is based outdoors with plenty of space. Golf has survived many hardships through its history, and it will make it through this one as well. Our economy might not fair so well going forward. Right now, I’d rather own a golf course than a movie theater or restaurant, that’s for sure! Be safe.