Wagga Country Club is planning for its annual club championships to go ahead on the first two weekends of November, as well as their ladies championships next month.
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Golf in NSW has survived, and thrived, in a COVID world with groups of two permitted to play even during lockdown and fours now allowed in the Riverina and other regional areas released last week.
In an environment of rapidly changing regulations, general manager John Turner said they'll be guided by public health orders but the club hopes that their high profile local championships aren't affected.
"You always plan for it to happen and re-assess if there are changes to health orders," Turner said.
"We were playing in twos, now we're back to fours, so you'd hope..."
Luke Chisholm won a thrilling championships last November which was the highlight of 2020 at the Country Club after it's annual Pro-Am in March was an early victim of the global pandemic fallout.
The Pro-Am returned in March this year - as promised, bigger and better than ever - with Matt Millar enjoying a breakthrough win after a playoff. And early planning is already underway for 2022.
Apart from the chance of snap lockdowns there is also the looming expectation that, in the long run, privileges will be limited to those fully immunised against COVID-19.
"That will be up to the government and we'll follow any government advice on vaccinations, on COVID, and on what we can or can't do for anything," Turner said.
"Albury is in lockdown now so, what's that mean for us? We don't know so we just keep on doing what we're doing and make any changes as we get notified, and think on our feet."
The surge in interest in golf means the Country Club has mostly been restricted to members only since the arrival of COVID. It's part of a broader pandemic lesson - not to take things for granted - but Turner said it's tough turning people away.
"You used to welcome people to come and use your facility and have a hit of golf, so it's terrible saying, look, sorry you've got to be a member to play," Turner said.
"But we look at Victoria where golf's not permitted while they're in lockdown so we're lucky.
"And it's given value to things.... the value of a membership meaning you can come and play, or whatever organisation you're a part of, you realise the value of it."
Unlike golf and tennis, many other sports are wondering what their future looks like and sweating on government advice with a ban on the majority of community sport likely to stay until 80 per cent of the state's adult population is fully vaccinated.
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