Key Niners swing into a new season with a pandemic-era luncheon

The Key Niners, Longboat's resident nine-hole women's golf association, opened their 2020 season on Nov. 17 just like nearly everything else in 2020 — in a bit of a different fashion. 

Instead of golf at the Longboat Key Club's Harbourside course and lunch in the ballroom afterwards, the women played at the Islandside course and ate lunch under the oak trees in the club's front lawn. 

"I'm so glad to see everybody here," Key Niners President Noreen Ackerman said. "We weren't sure if we were going to be able to have an opening luncheon." 

Originally, they were supposed to open their season on Nov. 10 at Harbourside, but Tropical Storm Eta's approach kept them away.

Scheduling conflicts dictated that the women play at the other side of the island for Nov. 17 and eat outside — an uncommon dining area but a beautiful one. Now that the golfers are finally back together, they're looking forward to a season of physical distancing on the golf course and some safe social interaction. 

"Golf was the only normal thing I've been able to do all summer," member Bunny Skirboll said.