Upon Monday's opening day for golf courses, many had to get used to a new way of hitting the green as COVID-19 protocol dictated mode of operation on the course.

On the lengthy list of guidelines was the restriction of keeping hands off the flagstick when retrieving the ball out of the cup.

Chris Brown is General Manager and Superintendent at Killarney Golf Course. Brown and local Kiwi Welding owner, John Bellew, came up with a way to lift the ball out of the cup without touching the pin or digging into the hole with your hands.

The new golf gadget works quickly and easily by using your putter to pull up the lift and eject the ball out of the hole.

Brown says this new retrieval system works great. “Not touching the flags is going to be very important out there,” he says. “So, when you putt your ball in the hole, you don’t have to reach down and pick the ball out of the hole. There’s a lift on this device where you lift up and the ball pops out and away you go!”

Although Monday was a cool and rainy day, Brown is happy to be open. He says the dining room will be closed for now, but the patio will be open for 50% capacity as per requirements.

For more on Manitoba's golf guidelines visit here.