Brampton isn’t alone in threatening fines for breaking social distancing rules on golf courses, not even in Ontario. The much smaller but similarly named city of Brantford, Ontario, also issued recent regulations prohibiting golf.
The Brantford order signed by mayor Kevin Davis, officially known as the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, expands on regulations passed by the Ontario provincial government by “prohibiting the use of amenities such as playground equipment, picnic tables, benches, shelters, exercise equipment, pads, and courts, located in any municipal park or on property owned or operated by The Corporation of the City of Brantford.”
But unlike in some regions around the world, the order in Brantford specifically “closes all municipally-owned or operated golf courses and sports fields for play.”
Taking walks on city courses is still permitted, but residents must be careful to not even carry a golf club during their stroll. If they do, they will likely be smacked with a fine of $1,000, nowhere near as high as the fines in Brampton, but serious enough to keep golfers from playing.
For the citizens of the U.S. reading this post, 100,000 Canadian dollars is equivalent to a still-stratospheric 70,336.60 in USD based on current exchange rates.
While Brampton and, to a lesser extent, Brantford are taking especially tough stances against golf during the current crisis, not all cities and regions are taking the same route. Be sure to check in with your local course or city officials if you want to tee it up anytime soon. If your government still allows it, playing golf is a great way to get some fresh air and stay active right now.
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