Northwest Golf is back in play!

The COVID-19 situation has meant different things for courses around the country. In Oregon and Idaho, courses kept going with certain restrictions. But in Washington, on March 24, the courses were shut down. No golf. No driving ranges. No putting. Nada.

However, golf is now open for all the Pacific Northwest states. But restrictions that have been in place will continues to stay in place.

Precautions such as single riders in golf carts, no touching the flagstick and no rakes in the bunkers. Some states, like Washington, will limit groups to twosomes, unless they are from the same family then it can be more. See page 18 for complete list of Washington State guidelines. 

Guidelines for Washington Courses must follow

Here are the guidelines for Washington State courses to open back up:

1. Utilize online or phone tee-time-reservation systems to prepay and limit interactions, and restrict payments to credit cards to eliminate the handling of cash.

2. Maintain a log of all customers, including contact information.

3. At the golf course’s discretion, foursomes are allowed if they are from the same household. Otherwise, no more than two players from separate households per tee time. Single players should be asked if they would like to be paired together.

4. Restrict play to one rider per power cart, unless a minor is also playing.

5. Regularly sanitize counter tops, doorknobs, other common surfaces, range buckets, golf carts, push carts, cash registers, score posting kiosks and other frequently touched surfaces, including employee-used equipment.

6. Ensure that the flagstick remains in at all times. Players will be educated to avoid touching the flagstick for any reason.

7. Be creative with cup liners to avoid having players reaching into the hole to retrieve golf balls, such as installing cups upside down or partly above ground.

8. Eliminate cups and holes on practice greens.

9. Discontinue club and equipment rentals.

10. Restrict use of driving ranges and putting greens to those with a tee time within 30 minutes.

11. Remove bunker rakes and other on-course furniture such as benches, ball-washers, water coolers, etc.

12. Eliminate on-course garbage cans, and encourage golfers to carry and properly dispose of their own garbage when leaving the course.

13. Modify driving-range hitting areas to ensure a minimum 10-foot separation between players.

14. Install signage to discourage group congregation, or to limit numbers of people in a certain area of the club or pro shop. Golfers will be reminded to be especially mindful of social distancing in the parking lot, and around tees and greens.

15. Place appropriate signage outside the pro shop and clubhouse plus at the first tee entries briefly outlining the social-distancing guidelines in place.

16. Keep up to date on all changes that are happening daily.

17. Marshall the course to ensure physical distancing by reminding golfers, and where necessary, warning repeat offenders.

18. Ask golfers to leave the course immediately after playing to eliminate congestion/gathering on the property or in the parking lot.    

At the golf course’s discretion, foursomes are allowed if they are from the same household. Otherwise, no more than two players from separate households per tee time. Single players should be asked if they would like to be paired together.