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Mar 29

Golfers Still Going / Courses remain open as outlet for exercise. albeit with precautions – The Republic

Exercise Programs Comments Off on Golfers Still Going / Courses remain open as outlet for exercise. albeit with precautions – The Republic

When Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a stay-at-home order on Monday, many people thought that the list of attractions being temporarily shut down would include golf courses.

But in his directive, the governor talked about the public still being able to exercise outside as long as they were practicing social distancing. Since golf is not a contact sport, the Indiana Golf Association talked to the governors office about allowing people to play golf with precautions.

When the governor issued the stay-at-home order, there was a lot of professional conversations about golf courses because he mentioned physical activity and air, said Nikki Murphy, director of sports programs for Columbus Parks and Recreation. So golf courses came up, and there was some discussion with the Indiana Golf Association, and there was a lot of back and forth with them and the governors office. So the governor put out a follow-up to that where under a set of circumstances, golf courses could remain open if they wanted to.

Murphy, who oversees the citys Greenbelt and Par 3 golf courses, said the guidelines for safety on courses around the state were drawn up by officials at The Fort Golf Course in Indianapolis.

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While Par 3 is closed, Greenbelt remains open. Greenbelt was open on Monday, but after the governors order, had announced that it would be closed beginning Wednesday.

But over the course of Tuesday is when everything kind of came to a head with the golf office and the courses, Murphy said. So as an entity, we talked about the no-contact and really liked the parameters they had in place at The Fort. So we talked to the mayor and put together a list.

Among the restrictions on that list are that the public is not allowed in the clubhouse. Only golf pro Keith VanDeventer or a staff member are allowed in the clubhouse to take calls and with credit card information to give tee times.

Tee times for walking only are starting at 11 a.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends until 6 p.m. No carts are permitted. The city has removed flagsticks, rakes, ball washers and water containers and the restrooms are closed. The cups on each hole have been inverted so that golfers dont have to reach into them to retrieve their balls.

It really is zero-contact, Murphy said. Were practicing social distancing out there. If done right, it can be a great activity for people to practice.

The precautions being taken are similar at Columbus other two golf courses, Harrison Lake Country Club and Otter Creek. Like Greenbelt, Otter Creek is open for walking only for the time being.

Otter Creek pro Jon Hoover also said the course has removed flagsticks and raised the cups one inch. All the rakes and ball washers are off the course, the clubhouse is on lockdown and the driving range is closed. The putting green and practice range remain open, but players must use their own balls.

We had a teleconference with the IGA Section office, and a lot of the guidelines came down through the sport, through the state, Hoover said.

Otter Creek curently is running a special where golfers can walk 18 holes for $35 and nine holes for $20 every day to go along with the existing $15 Bartholomew County Special on the East Nine. The normal weekday rate for 18 holes is $65.

Hoover said the course had 55 rounds played on Thursday, when temperatures were in the high 60s.

Cooler temperatures the previous week didnt stop a few members from practicing or playing. A few days after playing Otter Creek, Ross Pushor, played at Harrison Lake with his brother Jeremy on Jeremys 40th birthday.

Columbus North graduate Henry Kiel, last years The Republic Boys Golfer of the Year, was at Harrison Lake to work on his short game. Kiels freshman golf season and school year at University of Evansville were cut short when students were sent home because of the coronavirus concerns.

I was kind of bored, Kiel said. I havent have anything to do at home.

Harrison Lakes cups are inverted to sit on top of hole. The course has removed sand buckets, sand bottles on carts ball washers and trash cans. The golf shop is closed, but doors are propped open so players can use restrooms.

Carts are permitted, but only with one person per cart.

We have a lot of safety precautions out here, and were taking every step possible to make sure our members and our staff are safe, Harrison Lake pro Austin Wright said. We have two pages worth of things that were doing to make sure everyone is taken care of. We are constantly wiping everything down, wiping down carts. Weve also suggested to our members that walking is suggested at times, especially to our younger members.

Harrison Lake chief operating officer Bob Haddad Jr. said the club has had around 40 to 45 players each day last week after it reopened on Tuesday following wetness.

We did not make any decisions rashly, Haddad said. We did all of our due diligence to make sure we are following the executive order and following our social distancing. Even if you put 40 or 45 players out on this course at the same time, youre going to have less than three players per hole. Its easier for us and safer for us as a private club than public courses that get way more golfers than we did. For our members here at the club, its safe.

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Golfers Still Going / Courses remain open as outlet for exercise. albeit with precautions - The Republic

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