By Indy Thompson, Big Fish Golf Director
Honorable Tribal Governing Board, Citizens of the Hayward Community, Members, Employees, and Guests of Big Fish, what follows are the steps being taken to ensure guest and employee satisfaction, and safety during these tough times. We will try to make the course as accessible as possible to all who want to play. Thank you for your support during these times! We plan on opening on Friday, April 24th at 10 am! We look very forward to seeing each of you!
*Hours of golf shop operation: 9 am to 6 pm, subject to change based on weather*
Cart Usage
· Power carts are not allowed on the course, per the governor’s order
· Push carts will be available to all who want to use one during their round, free of charge
o They will be sanitized to be sure the spread of COVID 19 will not happen
· Guests will be allowed to take their own push carts on the course with them
Golf Holes
· Holes will be raised to ensure that golfers will not be touching them
· The golf ball will bounce off the hole and require zero contact between the golfer and the actual hole
· Pins will remain in the holes, but golfers will not be required to touch them
Tee Times
· Guests can either book a tee time and pay online or call in the golf shop and book and pay over the phone
· This will require no interaction between staff and patrons
· Tee time will be spaced 10 minutes apart, as that will allow groups to not interact with each other
o We may look to push to 15 minutes apart if we get too busy
· We will be requiring all guests to make tee times and pay before they go out
· Members will call in and make tee times as well
· We will be outlining how to book tee times online for anyone who does not know
Employee Safety
· All staff that is to clean off anything at the course is required to wear gloves as provided by the course
· I will be recommending that we all wear masks and gloves, although I cannot impose those orders
· Items/areas being cleaned regularly to protect inside workers will include iPads (point of sale), telephone, computers, laptops, bathroom surfaces, tables/counters, product coming in, etc.
o Strict orders to clean this using safe cleaning materials will be followed
· Grounds crew members will be required to wear at least gloves and recommended to wear masks when working
· Grounds crew equipment will be sanitized as necessary
· 6 feet from each other will be enforced
Benches and Vending Machines
· After further consideration, we have decided to eliminate benches on the course
o This represents a liability issue if one of our valued members or guests gets the coronavirus
o Benches cannot be monitored like vending machines or push carts, so this represents an issue from the start
· We have talked to our coke vendor and we can get a vending machine for use at the course
o We will have this located by the golf shop and it will be loaded with various drinks such as Powerade and water
o It will be cleaned as necessary during all operating hours of the day
Cleaning Solution on Course
· Providing we can get hand sanitizer, we will try to have hand sanitizer as much as possible on the course
· Please refrain from touching anything at the course
Scorecards and Pencils
· After further consideration, we have decided that score cards and pencils will be eliminated for the time being
· We need to eliminate touchpoints where necessary
· There is an online scorecard where guests can see yardages
Proper Signage
· Proper signage about COVID 19 will be positioned on the course at strategic points such as the golf shop door, the first tee, the tenth tee, etc.
· Signage will be laminated to protect against the inclement weather
· It will be the duty of the guest to follow these guidelines
Guest Guidelines
· Please arrive to your tee time at least 20 minutes early to prevent a back up at the first tee
· In your group, please have one person pay for the group instead of all members calling in separately
o This may pose a problem for groups, but we will become overwhelmed with phone calls if we have four people call back to back with card information
· Whenever possible, please book your tee time online
o This will guarantee you a tee time and speed up the check in process
Our Response
· We want to provide a very safe experience for guests while being transparent
· Reducing all touchpoints for guests will be critical in stopping the spread of coronavirus
· After further consideration, we have decided to reduce touchpoints such as scorecards, pencils, and benches on the course
o Ultimately, we care about your safety