In Cavite, golf course closed over quarantine violation

Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla has ordered the closure “indefinitely” of a private golf club in his province after it held a tournament that violated government protocols on mass gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

The padlocking of Sherwood Hills Golf Club in the capital city of Trece Martires was seen as the first punitive action by a local government against sporting events whose organizers had failed to observe quarantine rules.

Shin Paul Chan, the club’s general manager, said club officials “accepted … without questions” Remulla’s order that was issued on Tuesday. The club immediately ceased operation that same day.

‘Member’s Day’

“We respect the decision of our governor,” Chan said in a text message to the Inquirer on Wednesday.

Sherwood Hills has 104 regular staff and 183 caddies.

Remulla said 91 players attended the event dubbed Sherwood Hills “Member’s Day” on Sept. 12. It featured a “shotgun start,” a tournament format in which groups of players tee off simultaneously in assigned holes.

“The intent of the organizers from the beginning was to conduct a tournament but was disguised [as a Member’s Day event] at the last minute in order to evade sanctions,” the governor said in a social media post on Wednesday.

Real estate holdings

The Remullas are club members. The governor also disclosed that his family “has substantial current real estate holdings in the development of the golf course.”Golf courses in areas placed under a more relaxed quarantine have been opened to club members and guests since playing golf has been allowed in areas where restrictions have been eased. Clubs, however, have been asked to limit the number of players at half the normal capacity of their courses.

Cavite, with 9,080 COVID-19 cases as of Sept. 21, is under the more relaxed modified general community quarantine.

—Maricar Cinco