Fair interest in fairways: Peel sports lovers turn to golf to fill void during pandemic

With the coronavirus pandemic bringing almost every major sport to a halt worldwide, one Peel region golf course is beginning to find its feet once again.

The Cut Golf Course has seen an encouraging rise in interest from both casual players and members since reopening from a one-month hiatus on April 25.

Restrictions still remain around social distancing measures, specifically with players only allowed on the course in groups of four, but manager Neil Davey said the numbers were a strong step forward with people eager to enjoy time "out of the house".

"It's been really encouraging to see people getting out there and enjoying their golf," he said.

"Obviously with the current restrictions a lot of sports were shut down, so people that might usually have been playing football or something like that are now turning to golf where it's quite easy to socially distance.

"We have 27 hectares here, so it's a safe way to enjoy a sport and get active."

Davey said membership requests had seen a rise since the club reopened, while interest in public golf was much higher than usual.

Weekly competitions have also recently returned to picturesque Dawesville course, but like many sports they have had to take on a new look since the COVID-19 crisis kicked in.

The main change seen at The Cut is players now using the MyScore app to lodge their totals throughout matches to avoid contact through swapping scorecards, something Davey said had taken off since the reopening.

"It's not quite business as usual, but I think everyone understands the situation and it's been great to see everyone using the app," he said.

"Basically, for us, it's just uplifting to see people supporting the course and wanting to enjoy golf.

"Obviously no club would have wanted to shut down for a month, but for the sport of golf in particular, this could actually turn out to be a silver lining."

The Cut Golf Course is also steadily reopening its bar and restaurant services in line with state government restrictions, as they continue to ease.

The course was ranked in the top three among WA fairways in Golf Australia Magazine, and sits 36^th in the national listing.