TO SHAR JONES ALSO SHOWING SUPPORT TODAY FOR HEALTHCARE HEROES. ONE OF THE BIGGEST ESCAPES DURING COVID WAS TO THE GOLF COURSE WHEN THEY REOPEN DURING THE PANDEMIC AND TONIGHT, FOX 2 SPORTS DIRECTOR MARTIN KILCOYNE IS LIVE AT PERSIMMON WOODS WITH THE IMPACT OF COVID THEN AND NOW MARTIN. YEAH, VIC IN MANY A YEAR AGO AS THE SPORTS WORLD CAME TO A HALT. WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUAL SPORTS. WHAT WAS ALLOWED IN A LOT OF FOCUS WENT A GOAL FROM THE QUESTION AT THE TIME WAS IT REALLY DEPENDED ON WHERE YOU LIVED HERE SAINT CHARLES COUNTY THEY WERE ABLE TO PLAY GOLF IN ILLINOIS COURSES WERE BEING SHUT DOWN LED TO A LOT OF FRUSTRATION AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS WHY THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE BUT HERE WE ARE A YEAR LATER SAFETY MEASURES HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE THERE ARE NEW PROTOCOLS A LOT OF THE GOLF COURSE WILL SIMPLY HOLD ON TO THOSE NEW MEASURES BUT PRIVATE EVENTS WERE CANCELED LIKE MY PARTICULAR ALMA MATER MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY ARE ANNUAL GOLF SCHOLARSHIP FUND WAS CALLED OFF ABLE TO BRING IT BACK THIS YEAR IN A MINATURE FASHION SORT OF EASING BACK INTO BIGGER FUND RAISING EVENTS BUT THE QUESTION ABOUT GOLF AND WAS IT SAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THE GOLF INDUSTRY WERE FRUSTRATED AT THE TIME.
WHY WOULD BE SHUT DOWN AGAIN IT REALLY DEPENDED ON WHERE YOU LIVE IN MISSOURI. THE GOVERNOR MIKE PARSON LEFT LEFT IT TO LOCAL AREAS TO DECIDE WHAT MADE SENSE AND WHAT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE. BUT AS FAR AS THE SPORT ITSELF. WHAT'S HAPPENED NATIONALLY HAS THERE BEEN A MOVEMENT TO PLAY MORE GOLF AND BE OUTSIDE. I THINK THERE'S 3 DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT CAN EXPLAIN WHY THERE'S AN INCREASE IN GOLF. YOU HAVE, BUT PEOPLE ARE ALREADY PLAYED GOLF. THEY'RE PLAYING MORE AS MAYBE THE LAPSE OFFER MAYBE CAME BACK TO THE GAME. BUT YOU ARE SEEING SOME NEW PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING OUT PLAYING ENJOY DISCOVERING WHAT A GREAT SPORT. IT IS PEOPLE ARE DISCOVERING OR REDISCOVERING THEIR LOVE OF THE GAME.
ONE THING ABOUT THE GOLF INDUSTRY IS WE'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO BE NIMBLE AND TRY TO. RESPOND TO WHAT IT IS OR OUR CUSTOMERS PRETTY GOOD JOB OF THAT. AND DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LOOK AT THE NATIONAL NUMBERS ARE ABOUT A 33% INCREASE IN TERMS OF PARTICIPATION, PRIVATE CLUBS PUBLIC COURSES IN TERMS OF PEOPLE GETTING OUT WANTING TO BE OUTSIDE IT SIMPLY MAKES SENSE. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT COVID AND OUTDOORS HIT THE BALL THE WAY I DO THERE'S A LOT OF SOCIAL DISTANCE, NOBODY'S NEAR MY BALL. QUITE SIMPLY DOES MAKE SENSE LATER IN SPORTS YADIER MOLINA TALKING ABOUT PERFORMING IN FRONT OF HIS MOTHER AND DOING WELL ON MOTHER'S DAY HERE FOR THE CARDINALS CATCHER COMING UP IN SPORTS. ALL RIGHT MARTIN, THANK YOU WE'LL COVID AN ATHLETE'S IT'S