"The industry whiffed during quarantine, but this game is far from over."

With news of the European Tour’s launch of virtual Trackman matches, Adam Schupak of Golfweek (lovingly) takes the golf industry and television business to task for a fairly dreadful response to COVID-19 in a different way: how the sport has handled marketing itself and how its used assets to promote the game.

Granted, it’s asking a lot given the way the coronavirus overtook life and the difficulty of putting out “content” while so much suffering is taking place. On a grander scale, there is also the difficulty of coordinating, meeting and producing, but as he notes, the efforts have been uninspired.

PGA Tour pros from Rory McIlroy to Billy Horschel to Charley Hoffman have promoted Peloton (not even a Tour sponsor!) more than the sport that has brought them fame and fortune. Kudos to NASCAR for pivoting and quickly launching an e-race series so we could see Ian Poulter in his favorite habitat behind the wheel. Why couldn’t the professional golf circuits jump on something similar? Why couldn’t Jordan Spieth just invite a few friends over to the house for a simulator match and ask his wife to film it on his phone? We’d watch.

Finally, the European Tour has hopped on board with the BMW Indoor Invitational, a series of five 18-hole virtual golf tournaments contested using TrackMan. What took so long?

Getting PGA Tour releases?

Seriously, after pointing out that no one needed to see the Big Break XI once, much less again, Schupak points out why it was important for golf to better use the downtime.

This is a time for golf to puff out its chest and remind sports fans why golf is the greatest game of all. Where are the PSA’s promoting the beneficial reasons to play golf?

“We will be launching a campaign in due course with a number of PSAs in a variety of ways to talk about the benefits of golf, and you will begin to see those come out soon,” said Seth Waugh, CEO of the PGA of America.

That’s a start because the golf industry tends to rest on its laurels – being on TV every weekend and having its own channel tends to do that – and doesn’t need to worry about exposure. Now would be a good time for the industry as a whole to actively seek and market to new golfers and support the people in the industry slogging it out and turning on the lights and cutting the grass at 15,000 courses nationwide.

In Lieu Of Crowd Noise, Might Players Let Us In On Their "Sound"?

Bill Shaikin of the LA Times is using baseball’s downtime to consider improvements to the sport and this from Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss seemed tailored for golf, too.

“If there’s no crowd noise, you’ll be able to hear all the trash-talking. You might as well embrace it. Start mic’ing up players, or use directional microphones, so you can hear everything that’s being said. That’s something the audience hasn’t had before. Having been on the field at games, hearing it is really exciting. That’s the thing I think would be the best.

“I would be trying to replace the excitement of the fans screaming and the pulsating cheering with the inside scoop of what it’s really like to be in the game and hear everything that’s being said, and even the stuff on the mound.”

Maybe not everything, at least not in real time. A brief delay would allow producers to select the most compelling dialogue, mute objectionable language, and protect the integrity of the game, particularly

While there are physical complications with attaching mics to players that all golfers can all relate to, increased eavesdropping on player-caddie chats when live golf restarts would be hugely beneficial.

Now, players and caddies just have to be convinced that the state secrets bandied about between them are nothing more than player-caddie conversations.

PGA Tour Restart In Texas Needs Plenty Of COVID-19 Questions Answered

Five weeks from attempting to restart the 2019-20 PGA Tour season in Fort Worth, Texas, the state still requires a 14-day quarantine for travelers from California; Connecticut; New York; New Jersey; Washington; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan, and Miami, Florida. International travel quarantining is unclear.

Logic would say the PGA Tour needs to have things buttoned up soon given that players coming from so many locations have just three weeks to get tested and then in place in Texas.

Adding to the situation in the Lone Star State, as Governor Greg Abbott reopens his state, he’s been heard on tape this week admitting that it’s “almost ipso facto” that reopening the state for business “will lead to an increase” in COVID-19 spread.

Welcome to the great state of Texas boys!

Until questions are answered by the Tour about how everything will work, they are rolling out a player each week to select, special media.

So this week’s player who answered his phone at just the wrong time was Brendon Todd. He presented his sense of how player testing will work (pre-tournament, start of the week on arrival and once more during the tournament) and that sounds solid, assuming testing is more prevalent by then.

Beyond that, I would have thought things would be more defined for players by now, at least off of his remarks. With three weeks to go until many in the field will need to know the plan on hotels, flights, clubhouse, locker room and other indoor elements (where the virus is more likely to spread). But at least Todd endorsed the idea of changing shoes in the parking lot, one of the stranger elitist peccadilloes facing an imminent and timely demise.

From Bob Harig’s ESPN.com report on the call.

Todd, who said he spoke with Pazder, acknowledged there are risks, such as air travel and hotels, although he was told by tour officials they are working on one to two hotels where all of the tour players, caddies and officials would stay.

It is unclear at this point if clubhouses or locker rooms will be open. Todd said the latter would not be a problem.

"You're talking to a guy who played 20 Monday qualifiers two years ago and probably 10 last year,'' he said. "I'm all too used to changing my shoes in the parking lot. Even when you play the Desert Classic in Palm Springs we have different courses, you're in a parking lot. As funny as that may sound, it's not that big of a deal.''

"We need to continue to remind golfers that they’re playing before the biggest gallery of their lives, as well-publicized screwups could turn the yellow lights back to red."

The National Golf Foundation’s weekly and incredibly powerful interactive report has dropped again with more information for the industry. They’ve stepped up impressively in their efforts to highlight what’s going on in the golf business.

The NGF reports 79% of U.S. golf courses are open in some form with 90% projected by May 17.

The latest COVID-19 report also includes looks at the retail sector, consumer spending and how golfers see their income potentially impacted.

As part of the weekly release, NGF CEO Joe Beditz was upbeat about the findings but issued this excellent warning.

As I’ll continue to say, golf has an opportunity to lead by example, showing it can be played safely and responsibly in the midst of a pandemic. Course owners and operators need to keep following local rules and adjusting to our “new normal.” And we need to continue to remind golfers that they’re playing before the biggest gallery of their lives, as well-publicized screwups could turn the yellow lights back to red.

Golf Fares Well In WaPo Poll On Businesses Americans Are Okay With Re-opening

While a majority still opposed golf courses reopening (59%), the numbers that likely speak to an overall misunderstanding of how the sport works safely or just traditional elitist-sport apathy. But first place is better than most.

Dan Balz and Emily Guskin report the findings for the Washington Post.

Gun stores are next, with 70 percent saying they should not be reopened, followed by barbershops and hair salons (69 percent opposed) and retail shops such as clothing stores (66 percent opposed) and golf courses (59 percent opposed).

Opposition to opening businesses is just about as high in the states that have loosened restrictions so far as states with stricter restrictions. In both sets of states, majorities of residents oppose reopening all eight types of businesses measured in the poll.

"Will the PGA Tour reshape professional golf?"

Signs of European Tour financial worries have surfaced in different places, from a new willingness to consider a fan-free Ryder Cup in 2020, to Telegraph’s James Corrigan discussing on the McKellar podcast.

Global Golf Post’s Ron Green explores what this means and says industry insiders are suggesting a PGA Tour/European Tour partnership.

Multiple leaders within the game believe some form of consolidation between the PGA Tour and the European Tour is coming. The European Tour needs it. The PGA Tour can benefit from it.

It’s important for the PGA Tour, according to multiple sources, that the European Tour emerges intact from its current uncertainty. Different, but still here. At professional golf tours around the world, a forced reimagining is underway.

Of immediate importance to the PGA Tour is getting through what will be at least a three-month suspension of tournament competition. Each week the tour sits idle, it costs the organization millions of dollars.

“If the spend isn’t there from the fans, whether through tickets or television, the pot dries up,” a person familiar with the tour’s operation said.

Green outlines some world tour scenarios in such a collaborative setting that sound very familiar to the Premier Golf League concept. Imagine that!

The Shack Show With Guest Brett Cyrgalis, Author Of Golf's Holy War

I admire Brett Cyrgalis’ ability to play reporter and open-minded man considering the “Battle for the soul of a game in an age of science”. I did not take that path in The Future of Golf sleep fine at night, but Cyrgalis is trying to do for golf what Moneyball did for baseball, only with stronger consideration for the more traditional approach.

Golf’s Holy War (Avid Reader Press, out May 5, 2020) includes chapters on Tiger Woods and Dualism, Technology for Profit, the Art of Architecture, Hogan and Science in Slidell, Louisiana. In between Cyrgalis, a New York Post writer on the Rangers beat, considers the views of a wide golfing swath to let you decide if the sport has sold its soul to technology.

The Hogan chapter has been posted as an excerpt at GolfDigest.com.

You can buy the book at Amazon (link above) or support independent’s at Bookshop.org, where the price is lower and the profits go to support local bookshops.

I tried to get Cyrgalis to admit he’s a technophobic something or other (sorry Wally, second blog reference this week). No luck, but I do hope episode 9 is still a fruitful use of your time listening to the articulate author.

Please subscribe to the Shack Show wherever you get podcasts!

Here is the Apple show page and embed from iHeart:

Bamberger On Rake-Free Bunkers: "More imperfect, less uniform, as the world is imperfect and not uniform."

The Road Hole bunker in more aesthetically-pleasing times.

Michael Bamberger is one of many writers to take to the links and report back on what new safety-first rules are making the sport better.

I loved this on bunkers:

While we’re at it, golf is better without bunker rakes, as we’re playing now. Faster, for one thing. More primitive. More penal, for being someplace you shouldn’t be. More imperfect, less uniform, as the world is imperfect and not uniform. Pine Valley has no rakes. You’ll never hear somebody there yell at a ball in the air, “Get in the bunker!”

Update: Everything's Just Fine At Prestwick

The Alps and clubhouse

Prestwick has seen it all. The first Open, Old Tom, the Parks, going from 12 to 18 holes, world wars, WW II training, and now global pandemics.

While one of the world’s greatest places will be there again in better times, it’s still great to see in this video show by Prestwick’s gracious golf pro David Fleming. A course that good and looking that well kept needs to be played, but for now this will do…

Tonight’s #prestwicksunset #sunset #prestwickgolfclub #alps #saharabunker @prestwickgc @visitscotland @visitayrshire @ayrshiregolfscotland @scotlandhomeofgolf #narrows #theopen #railway #BIRTHPLACEOFTHEOPEN pic.twitter.com/QM50Ti8Ist

— David Fleming (@prestwickgcpro) May 3, 2020

Golf.com Thinks An Old Template Hole Comes From Muirfield...Village

For a while now I’ve been watching as Golf.com rolls out a familiar feeling series on “template holes.”

You know, those famous old golf holes noted for their brilliance and sampled by CB Macdonald when he was trying to import good golf to America.

Desi Isaacson—past Fried Egg intern and no doubt well-intentioned—took things in a new direction at Golf.com by naming the “Narrows” of Muirfield as a template and but someone on the desk posted a photo of the narrow 15th at Muirfield Village.

A bit like thinking Seth McFarland was the real vocalist who made My Way a hit.

Anyway, the desk editors, they’re old enough to rent a car, should have caught the initial mistake in a story where Muirfield Village is never mentioned, added this note:

It’s a funny and slightly lame mistake under most circumstances, particularly during a time of pandemic.

One problem: Golf’s template hole articles are both unoriginal and often dancing up to the line of all-out rip-off of a series by The Fried Egg’s Andy Johnson, even down to the holes mentioned as templates and the actual examples cited.

The Golf Gods strike in mysterious ways.

Hey about the original narrows, a video from the 2013 Open Championship.

Pool Flotation Devices Must Not Be In Golf's Future

Accompanying Joe Becker’s San Jose Mercury News story on the “strange” changes golfers will face upon returning to reopened golf courses, not mentioned is the idea used in photos accompanying the story: circumcised pool flotation devices in the cup.

Now, why these, used at “Newport Beach Golf Course” in Orange County down south was chosen for the story, I’m not sure. But I’m am sure that we can do better than the look above. Granted, it could be the shorts. The guy grinding out the two footer as the other looks on like he’s a retired member of the Stasi. Maybe it’s the color that looks like...oh we won’t go there. Either way, no more pool flotation devices…please!

JT, Rickie Play Some Persimmon And Balata Golf!

Now this is a charity match some of us would pay good money to watch (sorry Wally).

Justin Thomas posted this image and a short report on a Medalist round with the old stuff. That the old sound resonated with a player reared on modern equipment tells you that wood heads could be to millennial golfers what vinyl was to their music!

View this post on Instagram

Fun game with @rickiefowler today... Persimmons and Tour Balatas (I brought back the tie as well!). The audio on some of the shots today were niiiiiice. Safe to say, I will be asking for rick as a partner next time we do this #hecrushedme #oldschoolgolf

A post shared by Justin Thomas (@justinthomas34) on May 3, 2020 at 11:30am PDT

Seminole To Make Its International Television Debut For May 17 COVID-19 Relief Match

Scheduled to make its world premiere at the 2021 Walker Cup, the exclusive Seminole Golf Club will now make its debut for television cameras in a grand way by hosting a COVID-19 relief match.

Though the real standout here is UnitedHealth Group in pledging $3 million to give to the worthy causes noted below.

The format is a peculiar choice but that’s beside the point given the ultimate goal of raising funds and providing some much-needed competition on TV. For Immediate Release:

McIlroy, Johnson, Fowler, Wolff headline TaylorMade Driving Relief 

marking return of televised golf to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts 

UnitedHealth Group pledges $3 million in support of the American Nurses Foundation and CDC Foundation 

PGA TOUR, NBC Sports and Sky Sports to broadcast team competition from Seminole Golf Club, May 17 

Farmers Insurance® pledges $1 million for birdies-and-eagle pool supporting Off Their Plate 

PGA TOUR Charities live donation platform powered by GoFundMe to support additional COVID-19 relief initiatives 

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., (May 04, 2020) – The PGA TOUR, NBC Sports and Sky Sports today announced the return of televised golf with TaylorMade Driving Relief, centered around a $3 million charity skins match supported by UnitedHealth Group to raise money and awareness for the American Nurses Foundation and CDC Foundation, two organizations helping to lead COVID-19 relief efforts.

On Sunday, May 17, from Seminole Golf Club, TaylorMade Driving Relief will feature two-time FedExCup champion and World No. 1 Rory McIlroy and 20-time PGA TOUR winner Dustin Johnson, teaming up against two Oklahoma State University alumni: PGA TOUR superstar Rickie Fowler and 2019 first-time TOUR winner and 2019 NCAA National Champion Matthew Wolff. The competition will follow strict CDC social distancing guidelines, local mandates and will utilize appropriate testing measures to help protect the health and safety of the golfers, production crew and others on site.

Additionally, Farmers Insurance® has pledged $1 million to back a birdies-and-eagle pool to benefit Off Their Plate, a charitable organization helping COVID-19 healthcare workers and impacted frontline shift employees.

Building upon this initial fundraising of $4 million, PGA TOUR Charities will announce a Text-To-Donate activation and online donation platform powered by GoFundMe to allow viewers to make additional contributions and raise funds for COVID-19 relief.

EVENT INFORMATION: 

• Players: All four golfers will donate their time for the 18-hole, two-man team skins competition, with McIlroy/Johnson playing for the American Nurses Foundation and Fowler/Wolff playing for the CDC Foundation.

• Location: Seminole Golf Club (Juno Beach, Fla.) A majestic Donald Ross design with a clever routing on a rectangular site, each hole at Seminole encounters a new wind direction. Seminole has long been one of America’s most-revered clubs and this marks the club’s first ever golf event broadcast. No fans or spectators will be permitted on site.

• Date/Time: Sunday, May 17; live coverage will air from 2-6 p.m. ET 

• Television Broadcast: NBC, GOLF Channel, NBCSN, Sky Sports and other PGA TOUR global media partners

• Digital: Unauthenticated streaming of the entire event available via PGA TOUR LIVE (NBC Sports Gold and Amazon Prime Video), GOLFPASS, GolfChannel.com and GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR. Pre-match coverage as well as the first two holes of the event also will stream on Twitter. 

• Safety measures: PGA TOUR will follow all guidelines, executive orders and mandates issued by the state of Florida, Palm Beach County and the city of Juno Beach.

“We are excited about the safe and responsible return of live golf and the opportunity to raise significant funds for those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic through the TaylorMade Driving Relief event,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “With four of the PGA TOUR’s top stars in Rory, Rickie, Dustin and Matthew of Team TaylorMade participating and UnitedHealth Group serving as the foundation of charitable giving, and Farmers Insurance providing an additional bonus pool, golf fans around the world can look forward to a unique, interactive and entertaining event that will help those in need.”

BROADCAST: PGA TOUR Entertainment will produce live coverage, which will feature commentary from NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico from his home in Michigan, as well as analysts Paul Azinger and Gary Koch and play-by-play with Rich Lerner from an off-site production facility. On site at Seminole Golf Club will be on-course reporters Jerry Foltz and Steve Sands.

“NBC Sports is proud to raise awareness for these charities that are directly making an impact on COVID-19 relief,” said Pete Bevacqua, President, NBC Sports Group. “We’re grateful to the four exceptional PGA TOUR players for donating their time, as well as all the sponsors for helping elevate this unique fundraising event, which will feature the first worldwide broadcast of a golf competition from Seminole Golf Club.”

“Seminole Golf Club is honored to host this charitable event and welcomes all golf fans and sports enthusiasts to tune in to the broadcast to see these world-class players take on our course,” said Jimmy Dunne, President of Seminole Golf Club.  “This match is a pure public service, with all money raised providing COVID-19 relief to those most in need in Florida and around the country, and Seminole is thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to such a worthy cause at this difficult time.” 

FUNDRAISING AND IMPACT: Thanks to a pledge from UnitedHealth Group, the primary charitable component will see the teams compete in a $3 million charity skins match as each team will compete for one of two charities, the American Nurses Foundation and CDC Foundation.

“The 325,000 people of UnitedHealth Group continue to work tirelessly every day to support the health and safety of the people we are privileged to serve and to contribute to the resolution of this pandemic,” said David S. Wichmann, UnitedHealth Group Chief Executive Officer. “This additional financial support for the American Nurses Foundation and the CDC Foundation advances our commitment to take care of those who care for us by helping to meet the clinical, emotional and mental health needs of our frontline heroes, doctors, nurses and all health care workers. We’re pleased to be a part of this event designed to bring attention to and encourage further financial support for those on the leading edge of fighting this pandemic.”

Additionally, Farmers Insurance also kicked off fundraising efforts with a $1 million pledge, to back a birdies-and-eagles pool to benefit Off Their Plate, whose work creates a conduit for local communities to provide nutritious meals to the hospital teams we depend on and economic relief to local restaurant workers who have been most affected by COVID.

“For more than 90 years, serving our customers and helping communities impacted by disasters around the country has been in our DNA, and that remains true now more than ever. On behalf of everyone at Farmers, we’re proud of first responders and frontline workers for what they continue to do every single day during this unprecedented situation,” said Farmers Insurance CEO Jeff Dailey. “It’s a privilege to support this event, alongside our brand ambassador Rickie Fowler, and provide much needed funds to Off Their Plate, so they can continue to help those most impacted in this uncertain time.”

COMPETITORS: TaylorMade brings four of the world’s best and most exciting players to the event, and all are donating their time to be a part of the COVID-19 relief effort.

“While all of us navigate through the impact of this pandemic, we wanted to do our part for first responders and nominated COVID-19 charities. After speaking with our Team TaylorMade athletes, we are thrilled to make this TaylorMade Driving Relief event happen with our partners at the PGA TOUR and NBC Sports,” said David Abeles,CEO, TaylorMade. “The return of live golf and the opportunity to raise money for those affected is simply fantastic.”

Rory McIlroy, TaylorMade and UnitedHealth Group Health Ambassador:

• The reigning FedExCup champion and 2019 PGA TOUR Player of the Year is currently ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking. McIlroy has 18 PGA TOUR victories and an additional nine wins worldwide including four major championships, the 2019 PLAYERS Championship, three World Golf Championships and the 2019 and 2016 FedExCup titles. 

• “It’s been difficult to witness what so many are enduring over the last several weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m excited and thankful to TaylorMade and UnitedHealth Group for making this event possible and providing us with the opportunity to show our support of those on the frontlines. I hope that we can provide some respite and entertainment for those tuning in across the globe. Dustin and I will have a lot of fun together and our games will fit well as we push to raise funds and awareness on May 17.”

 Dustin Johnson, TaylorMade Ambassador: 

• Johnson, a 20-time PGA TOUR winner, is currently No. 5 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Johnson’s 20 victories include the 2016 U.S. Open, six World Golf Championships events and four FedExCup Playoffs events.

• “I’m really excited to team up with Rory and to get back out on the golf course. Seminole is a great venue and it will be cool to show it to the world through this event. I’m sure Rickie and Matthew will be ready for us, but hopefully Rory and I can take them and help generate a lot of money and support for charities and those affected most by COVID-19.”

Rickie Fowler, TaylorMade Ball and Farmers Insurance Ambassador:

• Fowler owns nine victories worldwide, including his memorable win at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2015 when he played the finishing stretch of holes 15-18 in a 5-under total of 11 strokes. 

• “When I heard about this event, I couldn’t get involved fast enough. It’s special to be able to have an impact and raise charitable contributions through our sport and to do it with Matthew as a partner. I know how much I have missed sports and golf, especially, so to be one of the first events returning to television is very exciting and I’m proud to have Farmers, one of my sponsors, be a partner of this event as well. Playing aggressive has never been a problem for Matthew and me so we should have no issue testing the birdies-and-eagles bonus pool that has been backed by Farmers Insurance $1 million pledge.”

 Matthew Wolff, TaylorMade Ambassador:

• Wolff turned professional last June and by July, he earned his first career PGA TOUR victory at the inaugural 3M Open. Playing on sponsor exemptions, he needed just four starts to capture that first title and earned his PGA TOUR card at age 20. Wolff became the third player to win the individual title at the NCAA Championships and a PGA TOUR event in the same year, joining Ben Crenshaw and Tiger Woods.

• “I’m fired up to play alongside Rickie and raise money to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts. Rory and DJ have welcomed me to team TaylorMade with open arms and become great friends so I can’t wait for a fun competition against us Cowboys. Rickie and I are ready to bring our best and more importantly help the frontline heroes getting us through this extremely difficult time. Special thanks to the PGA Tour, NBC, Taylormade and all our partners for the opportunity. See you at Seminole!”

David Forgan: Golf "promotes not only physical health by moral force"

Thanks to Sean Tully of the Meadow Club for digging up David Forgan’s golfer’s creed and posting on Twitter (below). I’ve been asked by a few folks to post research or quotes related to the health and safety of golf when I come across them.

While this doesn’t quite qualify as an empirical work, it’s a keeper for those looking for a little inspiration or maybe fending off golf haters. Or maybe just a certain kind of reassurance that when safe and not disrespectful to times, there is a great reason to love the game and to maintain your pursuit of the royal and ancient.

Incidentally, I only knew Forgan was a descendant of the the St. Andrews Forgan family of clubmakers. It turns out, David decided to go into banking and moved to America where he was buried. Jim Craig, who blogs about various gravesites and the people under them, profiled David Forgan here.

Hard pressed to define golf better than was done here by Mr. Forgan. A gentle reminder of what joys the game can bring in so many ways! What are you doing to enjoy the game and share a golf experience with others? @gwatersgolf @erikanderslang @the_fried_egg @TheChristinaKim pic.twitter.com/xGJmRsG5SU

— Tully (@tullfescue) May 3, 2020

And just because I wanted an excuse to look at some St Andrews photos, a couple shots from 2015 of the Forgan shop location and plaque commemorating its location (now the Old Course shop).

Testing, Testing, Testing And Maybe Something More For Pro Golf's Return?

For those trying to imagine how professional golf will return, or those charged with trying to get the sport jump-started, a couple of weekend reads offered food for thought. While testing options and availability vary widely—I took part in LA County’s COVID-19 free testing this weekend and it worked incredibly efficiently—we know pro sports leagues will likely find a way to get tests.

But the big picture issues go beyond availability to optics and plans that provide assurance should testing no be available, or only seen as part of the solution.

From AP’s Tim Reynolds, who did touch on the PGA Tour’s return but focused largely on MLB, NBA and the NHL.

Some teams were sharply criticized for getting their players tested when the pandemic was beginning to take hold in March. The leagues want to avoid a similar blowback.

“The threshold question is the health question. That’s where we’re spending the most time,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “The ones that are the most worrisome are the ones that are beyond their control.”

According to Major League Baseball, 3,000 kits would need to be available for players, staff, broadcasters and others for every round of testing to get its season going and keep it going. Even if the NHL and NBA return with just 16 postseason teams on the ice and courts, those leagues would likely require tests for a minimum of 1,000 players and staff. And there’s no telling how often — Daily? Every few days? Weekly? — the tests would be required to be administered.

With tests still in short supply, that’s not a great look.

Pulitzer winner Laurie Garrett was featured in Frank Bruni’s Sunday NY Times column for her admittedly bleak outlook and vast history of coverage and predictions of past pandemics.

While she was speaking of the country and people who need to be tested, her comments should be noted by sports executives who are trying to imagine how they respect public and athlete safety in bringing their sports back.

And what America needs most right now, she said, isn’t this drumbeat of testing, testing, testing, because there will never be enough superfast, super-reliable tests to determine on the spot who can safely enter a crowded workplace or venue, which is the scenario that some people seem to have in mind. America needs good information, from many rigorously designed studies, about the prevalence and deadliness of coronavirus infections in given subsets of people, so that governors and mayors can develop rules for social distancing and reopening that are sensible, sustainable and tailored to the situation at hand.