As news leaked late this week that Doug Ford’s office has no plans to lift the ban on golfing in Ontario until at least June 2nd, never has public opinion seemed so universally aligned on a political decision: Doug Ford screwed up… again.
Whether you’re a tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorist, or the most data fueled being on the planet, both ends of the spectrum agree there is no reason why Golf of all things should be banned. Ontario is currently one of the only locations on the planet where the sport is currently forbidden. And while some have voiced the “golf is a sport of privilege” viewpoint, it doesn’t take away from the fact that there is no data, science, rhyme or reason for the sport to be outlawed regardless of the price tag that accompanies it.
According to data from the NGCOA (National Golf Course Owner’s Association of Canada) there were over 20 million rounds of golf played in Ontario in 2020. 0 cases of COVID can be traced back to a golf course. Let that sink in for a moment. We’re not talking about trying to mitigate a sector that’s been a source of outbreaks or spread. Instead, Ford’s office appears to be attempting to solve a problem that isn’t there.
Nationally, golf popularity is through the roof with record setting rounds played, revenue, and participation up across the board. Saskatchewan leads the way with a 40% increase in participation in 2020 despite the COVID measures and restrictions. South of the border, where COVID cases were 10x what they were in Canada, golf is currently permitted in all 50 states and has been for some time now.
While families griped about sports like hockey, basketball, gymnastics and more being cancelled due to either the close proximity or incidental contact aspect of the sports, golf is a particularly bizarre scapegoat to focus on as at any time, you’d have a maximum of 4 people within acres of one another. To be clear, frustration definitely stems from the fact that we’ve been in this pandemic for over a year now and people are getting antsy. But the vast majority of the angst voiced against the golf decision stems not from the virus itself, but from the government’s inability to put together a cohesive message and creation of a landscape where the goalposts are continually moved.
As seen in the numbers above, people flocked to golf specifically because it was one of the few activities they could actually do, while simultaneously being outside and respecting COVID protocols. This isn’t 2000 with Tiger Woods bursting onto the scene and the world becoming enamored with the sport. This is 2021 and more people are playing golf because what other options are there? Moreover, they’re willing to happily play the premium costs associated with participation in the sport.
So to give the public yet another version of the old “bait and switch” is just another example of the provincial government overreaching, not following the science or the data, and attempting to create a bogeyman out of nothing. Doug Ford needs something to point to and say “look what I did to curb numbers”, and for whatever reason, his office elected to zero in on golf this time round. Rather than having spent the last 15 months preparing for the time when a vaccination roll out was possible, Ford elected to be reactionary throughout, and adopt the scattershot approach to managing the pandemic. Try a little bit of everything and see what sticks (or in many cases, draws the least amount of criticism).
This also glosses over the fact that Ford is rarely the one to deliver any kind of actual news (instead letting a lackey deliver the bad news while Ford smiles for the cameras and tells us how we’re all in this together in between barbs at Trudeau). Then, if there’s any kind of public backlash, he’ll quickly retreat from the public spotlight and wait until things blow over. This isn’t leadership in any sense of the word. And for those who claim “he’s doing his best, it’s not an easy job”, you’re right. It isn’t. Which is precisely why people need to volunteer for it, campaign for it, spend thousands of hours and god knows how much money trying to convince us to let them have a chance at the job. No one grabbed Ford from the crowd and said “navigate us through this mess”. He wanted the leadership role, pandemic or not, and got it. Perhaps the swearing in of elected officials should incorporate some wedding vow aspects to the ceremony moving forward: “in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad…”
Online petitions to re-open courses have eclipsed the 100,000 signature mark, Golf Ontario has enlisted the help of Golf Canada to spearhead the “Let Us Play” campaign, and even Tory politicians are voicing their disapproval of the continued lockdown on courses. Yet it appears as though Ford’s office is doubling down on it’s desire to keep courses closed through the remainder of the month according to recent reports from the Toronto Star. At the least, a zone by zone approach should be doled out, with hotspots remaining in lockdown while others with relatively low numbers can re-open. We’ve done this before with the much maligned “grey/orange/green” zone model, how is this not on the table for other aspects of life? After all, the virus clearly knows to respect provincial borders which is why as soon as you cross the bridge from Ottawa to Gatineau COVID ceases to be and you can golf again.
Everyone has been through a lot. This is not to downplay the loss everyone has suffered. Whether it was a loved one, a business, a home, a job or all of the above. Golf may seem like a trivial thing to be up in arms about to many. However, the frustration with the golf ban is merely a symptom of the root cause of displeasure: the Ford government’s failure to show leadership during a time of crisis. A sign of maturity is to admit when a mistake was made, correct it, and move on with your life. Ford however appears to have taken the “head in the sand” approach and has retreated from the public spotlight once more.
Will opening courses solve all the boneheaded decisions Ford has made during the pandemic? No. Will it at least solve some problems for a segment of the population he was elected to govern with the stroke of a pen and no further effort required on his or the tax payer’s part? Yes. Make the smart decision. Follow science, follow data, follow what people want and open the courses.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner