Florence Country Club adjust in light of coronavirus

Among the area, courts to make a change was Florence Country Club on Thursday, when the method of counting a ball in the hole changed when each of the hole’s cups was elevated and the pin (flag) left in.

If someone’s ball makes contact with the cup, it’s treated as if the ball fell in.

But that’s not all.

The club also removed all bunker rakes. Therefore, the golfer takes free relief within the bunker due to unraked conditions.

Florence Club Adjust Lights in Country Club

In a game like a golf, where risk and reward are both blessed and cursed, what’s most important here is a health and promoting ways to abide by social distancing. Florence News

“If you look at a lot of the clubs, and even from taking advice from the course superintendent’s association, we saw Greenville Country Club doing some of the things we were going to do,” said Steve Behr, head golf pro at Florence Country Club. “And I was looking at what a couple of buddies of mine was doing in Columbia and Lexington, me and our course superintendent (Dru Clark) then set into motion what we could do.”

Behr estimated that 60 of 70 players had played the course during the past couple of days.

But Thursday was the first day using this new golfing format. Florence Medical News

“A a lot of golfers have been supportive,” Behr said. “They know you’re trying to do what you can to prevent (coronavirus) from spreading.”

Meanwhile, it does make golf somewhat easier because putts often can be hit too hard and roll over the hole and — sometimes — lip out.

“I think a lot of golfers, when you look at the big picture, will see this as friendlier to them,” Behr said. “I think a lot of them will like it. I know for guys like me that struggle with their putting, I like it.”

Count Hartsville’s Justin Prozzi, a Francis Marion University golfer, as one who also likes it. He carded a 71 Thursday.

Golf courses like the one at Florence Country Club

“It’s something I’ve never seen, for sure,” Prozzi said. “It sure speeds up play.”

After the Peach Belt Conference canceled the rest of the golf season, Prozzi — a Patriot senior — just played along because he loves golf.

“It was actually kind of cool,” Prozzi said. “Our season was canceled. And then, I saw these above-ground holes, and I didn’t know what to think.”

Prozzi soon learned putts could be a lot easier. Florence Political News

“I’d say inside 10 feet, it felt like it was easier because you knew you could hit it harder. As long as it hit the tin, that’s the same as you hit it in the hole,” Prozzi said. “So, it was interesting to see how you played it differently.”

For one thing, Prozzi didn’t have to worry about lip-outs.

“I actually made a birdie on No. 14 today, and it would have lipped out on a regular hole,” Prozzi said. “It counted as a birdie, though. So that was nice.”

But then again, Prozzi was on a golf course. So all was good.

“We get to keep playing, that’s the most important part,” he said. It’s still a lot of fun.”
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