Is your course open?

[davep043]

In Virginia, the FAQs regarding Tuesday's Executive Order say that outdoor businesses not explicitly mentioned by the EO are not impacted, beyond the more general recommendations about distancing, sanitizing, etc. This includes golf courses. My club will remain open, with tee times required, and 15-minute spacings (to regulate the flow of players), one player per cart, with limited availability, only take-away for food and beverage. I'll continue playing as long as I can, and walking.

[MountainGoat]

My bet is Virginia courses never close.

 

[BMC]

Most NC courses are open. For now, we have many Counties with no Convid-19 cases, and 0 deaths in the state. We know that will likely change.

[jholz]

Our munis sent out a message this morning stating that although they remain closed, they are using the time to address maintenance issues like punching the greens and the like. Hopefully we will be playing some nicely conditioned courses in a month or two, or whatever.

[caniac6]

My course in NC is open. The grill, and outdoor seating is closed. No rakes, flag in, but still allowing 2 per cart. I walk, and we are very generous with gimees. Just feel lucky to be able to play.

[lchang]

Interesting.

Here in lockdown land in SF Bay Area, that would seem like a different planet. I have been assuming that all courses will close eventually

[davep043]

Lots of courses have closed, I know the Fairfax Park Authority courses have, and I think the NV Regional parks too. I think some privately owned public courses are still open, and some (most?) of the privates.

[MountainGoat]

What I meant was that, unlike Maryland, I'll bet there is no statewide edict that requires courses to close. I know that some individual courses have decided to close.

 

[Pepperturbo]

To some people being laid-off feels the same as being fired, so misuse words. Difference though depends on the state but one can collect unemployment if he/she is let go due to no fault of their own. Unfortunately, this is also a time when management can remove people that haven't been cutting it but laws protect them. Anyhow, I hope all is for good reason.

[jmtbkr]

Eastpointe, in Palm Beach Gardens is open for play. The dining room is closed but take out is available to the residents.

They inverted the cups so your ball will fall in the hole about 1/2" and you can pick it up without touching the flag.

Single riders only in carts.

No bunker rakes, ball washers or garbage cans.

 

Fairways and greens are running crazy fast as the drought season has finally arrived.

[caniac6]

My father is a member at Springfield. Walkers only, flag in, no rakes. I believe he said no access to clubhouse or on course toilets. They still have take out food. Drive up, and only in the evening.

[az2au]

In addition to all of the golf courses being open a couple of the clubs I belong to are doing some really innovative things to keep members happy and people working. One of them has opened a "market" where you can order stuff (including paper towels and toilet paper), meat, dairy, beer, wine and pre-made meal kits that are ready to heat and eat. We ordered some stuff from them already just because it gave us something to do by going to pick it up. Another has a wide selection of meal kits that are more elaborate with the chef's directions on how they are to be prepared. We've ordered a couple of those as well to try out. I'm impressed that the clubs are working to make lemonade out of lemons.

[GSDriver]

Too funny, so Ft Worth city courses are opened with a zillion restrictions....funniest part was in addition to rakes, ball washers, they removed the flagsticks! Only ADA eligible can take a cart.

[howaboutme]

I've gotten notices today to reiterate that Westfields is open with acknowledgement of what they are doing to help (though it does seem like the absolute bare minimum compared to other courses) and from Penderbrook too. At Penderbrook, they have taken out the flags as well and cut holes in the "middle" of every green. I also believe the Raspberry Golf courses are open, among others.

[az2au]

The ADA thing should always be the case.

[billh1]

Belleair CC in FL here...have been staying open but just got a new countywide order today...fingers crossed

[jmtbkr]

Palm Beach county has just closed all the muni's effective Thursday 3/26.

[GSDriver]

There are numerous mental conditions that qualify for ADA. Just because you prefer to walk doesn't mean everyone else should have to.

[az2au]

Oh relax. I'll admit that I have no idea why anyone likes to play golf in a cart (and, before the litany of if you lived in X you'd ride too starts, no, I wouldn't, and I have lived in places like that, I'd rather not play than ride most of the time) but I was being flippant. I actually don't much care what anyone else wants to do. It is extremely common for me to be walking with other people in the same group in a cart. Never once bothered me.

In news relevant to this topic, I've lost another locker room and pro shop plus this one has added restrictions on those that want to take carts or even push carts that the club owns. In order to ride in one you must now "lease" it from the club and it will be yours exclusively to use and play can only be in twosomes or as a single. This is the same club that decided to shut down the range yesterday and had already cut off bag storage as well. More than half of all rounds are already walking there so it doesn't really matter except for most people. We also already had twosome play only 4 days/week in he mornings anyway so that's also not a big deal other than Saturday AM. I get all of the restrictions with the only one that I'll really miss being the range.

[KevinKegman]

Vegas is reopening all the courses after the governor added them to the essential list.

[lefty1978]

My course in Rowan County NC is still open.

[deadsolid...shank]

Here in California lite, otherwise known as Colorado, the governor ordered the shelter in place today. Only essential business, which include liquor stores and dispensaries are allowed to stay open. Unlike the Arizona governor, ours didn’t include golf courses as essential.

[third-times-a-charm]

I've played 9 rounds of golf in the last 9 days. Looks like the course wont shut down so I can maybe take a day off.

My back is killing me. Can barely hit a drive straight right now.

[lchang]

Don’t feel sorry for you!! ?

[DatSliceDoe]

Last course I know of shut down tonight. I played 18 yesterday and 9 today before bad weather moved in. Apparently they got shutdown by the state and could face legal consequences. Unbelievable.

[JDFish]

So, in its infinite wisdom, the Ohio Department of Health decided that golf courses are non-essential businesses and ordered all in the state closed immediately. But, we can still shop at Costco, Sam's Club, or any grocery store throughout the day with hundreds of others without any problem. Parks remain open to all who want to visit, walk, run, etc. because outdoor recreation is allowed and encouraged. So, closing the golf courses where limitations allowing only walkers, no flag sticks or bunker rakes, no employee contact, makes perfect sense.

Edit: Apparently, after an appeal made by course owners/operators, it was recognized that the provision allowing for walkers only and no employee contact was left out of the original order. So we shall see.

[lefty1978]

North Carolina just implemented a 30 day stay at home order state wide. According to the official document, golf is okay. From the order...

Are golf courses allowed to stay open?Golf courses implementing social distancing requirements for employees and customers as defined in the order may remain open.

[Oufcfan]

My golf club removed the pins, ball washers, towels, nozzles for the air hoses, left all the doors open and raised the cups above the ground (actually amazed me how I could see the little cup standing on a par 4 tee where you struggle to locate the pin sometimes!)on the 19th of March..

Then on the morning of the 20th, they closed the clubhouse Entirely and (rightly) sent all the bar and kitchen staff home on paid leave. Thankfully later that day, the government announced that anyone put on furlough, they would paid 80% of the monthly salary until this is over. So the club made the right moral call and are also being backed up now.

Now we are on day 5 of the club being closed entirely after the country was put on “lockdown” for 21 days. But at least the greenkeepers are allowed to continue working so the course will be ok. They split the greenkeepers into 2 shifts of 3 in each and they don’t see each other. As well as agreeing with the club next door to help if need be.

i wish I believed that normal is coming back soon but I think this summer might be almost a write off. And I’ve got a round booked on The Old Course in May so I’m not holding out much hope for that!

roll on 2021

[cristphoto]

Are the pot stores deemed essential?

[braincramp52]

Drive thru only. The great state of Illinois reversed its decision to allow courses to open just when the weather is going to get warm enough so they CAN open.