State golfers cleared to tee off again May 5th with many new COVID-19 rules

All of Washington State's 278 golf courses will be allowed to re-open May 5th with a number of restrictions, after being ordered closed March 26th by Governor Jay Inslee as a safety measure for the COVD-19 pandemic.

Now, courses are re-hiring workers to prepare courses for play and for the Governor's restrictions, which he announced Monday. Flag sticks must now remain in the holes, and golfers are not allowed to touch them. Everything golfers are used to handling, from sand rakes to ball washers, are being removed, in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus.

"We'll be only playing in twosomes for a while," Inslee said. "Except when a foursome is all from one household. And we always obviously have to socially distance, even on the course."

Despite the restrictions, golfers were elated to hear the announcement.

"Well I was thrilled," said David Hein, V.P. of Oki Golf, which manages 10 premier courses from Mukilteo to Olympia. "It's been it seems like an eternity since we last played golf."

Hein said he wrote the Governor on behalf of his organization in April, joining a chorus of people urging Inslee to relax restrictions. "The purpose of this letter is to respectfully request a review of your definition that golf is not an essential activity," Hein wrote. Washington State was among 13 states to ban golf as a reaction to COVID-19.

"We're told we have to have somebody on the golf course driving around just to keep an eye on social distancing and making sure people maintain twosomes," Hein said. "Unless they're from the same family or reside together."

Among the other restrictions, only golfers who are paying to play are permitted to practice on the driving ranges and putting greens, and time limits are expected to be enforced.

“Typically, a lot of our customers come up and practice,” said Hein. “It doesn’t look like that’s part of the opening at this stage, but we expect that to be eased as time goes on as well.”

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