Coronavirus: Golfers have come a fair way to get back on course
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has loosened the shackles on activities such as golf, fishing and outdoor group exercise.
The state buried deepest under the doona has poked its head out at last after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews loosened the COVID-19 shackles on activities such as golf, fishing and outdoor group exercise.
Rain and a maximum temperature of 15C in Melbourne on Wednesday were hardly conducive to the first day of Victoria’s new-found outdoor freedoms, but the hardiest weren’t to be denied.
Avid golfer Reece Tyrrell, 32, who has lost his job as a bartender amid the lockdown, has serious questions about whether the hospitality industry will ever be the same after the coronavirus.
But he was happy to put those questions aside and revel in the opportunity to dust off his clubs and join three mates at the Albert Park golf club in inner suburban Melbourne for their, until recently, fortnightly hit.
“I’m embracing the lifting of the ban on golf, and when there’s no work we may as well make the most of it,” Mr Tyrrell said.
“It really feels good to be doing something vaguely normal again.
“It’s been a massive relief just to get out of my house and see my friends and have a different conversation.
“We’ve all taken self-isolating seriously so it is good to see them all again. So good we’re heading out to play again tomorrow.”
The Andrews government was last to outline its social distancing changes after the national cabinet’s three-stage plan to ease restrictions announced last week, and the Prime Minister’s call that it was time for the country to “get out from under the doona”.
On Monday, Mr Andrews’ cautious approach was on full display as he decided to keep cafes and restaurants closed to all but takeaway traffic after other states accepted the national cabinet’s Stage 1 recommendation to reopen them to up to 10 customers at a time. But Victoria did move to allow outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people and five guests to a home, as well as reopening some outdoor recreational activities from midnight on Tuesday.
In NSW and Queensland, similar restrictions will be lifted, albeit later, from May 15 and 16 respectively.
Mr Tyrrell wasn’t critical of the decision to shut down golf completely, a tighter restriction in Victoria than other states, and one for which Mr Andrews, a golfer himself, had received plenty of stick. “Once you start making exceptions for various things, it gets hard to know where to draw the line. It’s better to have one rule for everyone,” Mr Tyrrell said.
On the pier at Half Moon Bay in Melbourne’s southeast, fishing mates Chris King and George Fitsopoulos reflected on just how much they had missed the pastime that sees them with rod in hand at least two or three times a week, and mused on whether closing down recreational fishing had really been necessary.
“It’s been really frustrating. You’re stuck at home, with a lot on your mind with the whole COVID-19 situation going on,” said Mr King, a 27 year-old chef who’s workplace has closed permanently as a result of the pandemic. “This is where I come to clear out my head, feel the freedom of being outside in the weather, just feeling the elements.”
Mr Fitsopoulos, a mechanic, missed fishing so much he took the day off work to head to the bay with his tackle box and rods. While happy to be back, he struggled to fathom why fishing was deemed to pose a threat to the social distancing required to combat coronavirus. “It’s ridiculous. You’re not in direct contact with anyone. You’re basically on your own, out in the wide open air. It’s better than being cooped up at home. If I’m out here fishing I don’t feel in any danger.”
Arguments about the need for particular restrictions aside, Mr King had a broader emotional response to the restrictions lifting.
“I really felt a shift today in the mood of the city. There were a lot more cars on the road, and everyone feels a bit happier, I reckon.’’
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