ClubLink update regarding COVID-19
20 APR 2020
Thank you for staying home and being patient in these challenging times. Hopefully there will some better news soon and brighter days ahead.
We are grateful to frontline workers and their families, who continue to protect and serve us during these times. And to our employees who continue to prepare for the season ahead under unprecedented circumstances.
As you know, golf courses have been ordered closed by the Provincial Government due to our classification as a non-essential business. Our turf and other asset maintenance work is able to continue, but only the most essential work can be performed. All other employees continue to work remotely in preparation for the upcoming season.
As of today, the Provincial Government emergency orders are scheduled to be in place through May 4th in Quebec and May 12th in Ontario. We are planning to open some of our Clubs immediately thereafter, subject to any reduction or extension of the emergency orders.
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 threat, and to be prepared for operating in a changed world, we’ve developed a series of safety protocols within our new Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to keep employees, Members and guests as safe as possible. There are too many details to cover here but some of the highlights include:
- Members and guests to arrive on property no earlier than 20 minutes prior to a pre-booked tee time
- Clubhouse dining rooms will remain closed
- Social distancing must be strictly upheld at all times
- Payment for guests, carts, etc. only accepted on member accounts
- Ball washers, benches and bunker rakes will be removed
- Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and equipment that golfers come in contact with
We will be sharing more details of our new SOP along with expectations for golfers as we get closer to opening.
Golf courses in other jurisdictions where courses are open, such as British Columbia, have successfully implemented new procedures. You may be aware that we closed our golf courses in Florida in mid-March out of an abundance of caution and prior to being told to do so, which afforded us the time to develop our new SOP. In the Tampa area, golf is still permitted, and last week we reopened Club Renaissance and Scepter using our new procedures. To date, we’ve had no issues with execution of the SOP and we are experiencing cooperation from Members as they know there is risk of being shut down if the rules are not followed.
The fluidity of this crisis represents a great challenge for all of us. We will continue to follow the guidance of government and health officials with respect to the precautionary protocols deemed necessary.
We are grateful for the support, feedback and questions from our community of Members. The original list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) has been updated and can be found on your Club website by clicking on the “My News” icon.
The answers to questions below are subject to change at any time based upon new information made available.
Q. How can I stay connected with my Club?
A. Email and social media will continue to be your Club’s primary form of communication.
Q. What is going on at the Club right now?
A. All Clubs are closed and employees are working remotely. A very limited number of employees are on site daily to perform only essential maintenance work. We ask that Member and guests refrain from visiting our Clubs for any reason, including walking the golf course.
Q. When do you anticipate opening and would my Club consider opening just the golf course even if the clubhouse remains closed?
A. Under the current provincial legislation, all non-essential business have been ordered closed and this includes golf courses. In Quebec, the order is in effect through May 4 and in Ontario, the order runs through May 12. We plan to open some of our clubs immediately thereafter, provided the emergency orders are not extended. We are following the situation closely and will keep you informed. Our top priority is to keep employees, Members and guests safe in all situations.
Q. What will happen with my fees if the season is delayed by months or if there is no season at all?
A. The opening timeline for our Member Clubs the last two seasons has fallen between April 26 and May 16, depending upon geographical location. We are still hopeful that opening dates will fall into this window of time. If there is an inordinate delay to the start of the golf season, we will revisit our policies and do what makes sense under the circumstances.
Q. If there is substantial delay that results in financial shortfall, will you reconsider your policy about assessments to Members?
A. No. It has always been our policy to not levy assessments to our Members.
Q. What will happen to my minimum during the Club closure?
A. Similar to other fees, no decision will be made until such time that the Clubs have firm opening dates. If at some point it is apparent that there will be an inordinate delay to the start of the golf season, we will revisit our policies and do what makes sense under the circumstances.
Q. Why doesn’t my Club open the kitchen and offer take-out food service to Members?
A. This service has been considered for our Clubs located in urban areas, but for now we have decided not to pursue this under current circumstances.
Q. Can I visit the Club to get something from my locker or to go for a walk on the course?
A. No. The Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act orders the Club to be completely closed out of an abundance of caution, and concern for the health and safety of our employees, Members and guests. At this time we ask our Members and guests to not visit our Clubs for any reason.
Q. Will I continue to receive a monthly statement?
A. Monthly statement notifications will continue by email only for accounts with an outstanding balance. Given our present work from home policy for employees, we are not able to mail statements from the office at this time. If you normally receive a paper statement, you can view and print your statement by visiting the ‘My Account’ section on your Club website. To log in to your account, click here. Alternatively, a Member Services representative will be pleased to assist you. Contact memberservices@clublink.ca or call 1-800-273-5113.
Q. I normally pay my ClubLink bill by cheque. With the clubs and head office closed, how do I keep my account up to date? Do I make payments online?
A. Yes please. To do this, simply log in to your personal banking account and go to the “Pay Bills” section of your account. Then go to the “Add/Edit” bills section and enter “ClubLink Corporation” in the text box to search for a payee and follow the subsequent steps. Use your 6-digit ClubLink Member number as the account number. Once ClubLink Corporation is added, you can make online payments or set up automated payments.