BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Some people across NE Wisconsin would say it’s going to be a perfect weekend to pull the golf clubs out of storage and play the first round of the year.
“The course is ready,” said Mid Vallee Golf Course owner Kathy VanDeHey. “It’s beautiful and I think golf is something that people need. We’ve got a lot of people that it’s almost their therapy.”
But courses statewide are deemed non-essential businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and must remain closed according to Governor Tony Evers’ order.
“Whether it’s a golf course or movie theater or arcade they are deemed non-essential and therefore cannot be open during the ‘Safer at Home’ order,” said Evers’ legal counsel Ryan Nilsestuen at a news conference last week.
The Wisconsin State Golf Association is supportive of the order, but Rob Jansen, the Executive Director of the WSGA, tells FOX 11 an exception can be made for golf courses.
“We do think there’s some misunderstandings about golf within the governor’s office right now based on the limited information we’ve see. We think it aligns much more with outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, biking and running.”
The WSGA thinks that if courses reduce capacity, eliminate the use of carts, get rid of benches, ball washers and bunker rakes it could follow the rules of social distancing.
“For golf to open sooner rather than later, we think some pretty extreme safety measures would be required,” said Jansen.
“Essentially we feel like a golfer could show up to a golf course, go to the first tee, never touch anything other than the equipment they bring to the golf course and then immediately after the round is done they get in their car and go home.”
Jansen said he has not had direct communication with Governor Evers about these suggestions.
VanDehey tells FOX 11 this is a weekend they’d consider opening for the season. They still get 3-4 calls a day asking if they’re sure they aren’t open.
“Last year we opened up April 3rd. We closed the earliest ever in 55 years last year, so we were hoping this was finally going to be our year. We’re fortunate, we’re going to keep plugging along. Hopefully we’ll get through this. We’ve been here 55 years we’re not ready to give up yet.”
“It has always been a game of social distancing and is well equipped to be one of the first activities to resume, we think,” said Jansen.
An online petition that started a week ago is asking Governor Evers to open golf courses statewide if golfers take the proper social distancing precautions.
As of Thursday, the petition has more than 60,000 signatures.
