via The Wisconsin State Journal by Colten Bartholomew
Despite golf courses being closed under Gov. Tony Evers’ “safer at home” order, Dunn County in northwestern Wisconsin is allowing them to open as long as they follow distancing guidelines and patrons have paid a membership at the course.
A letter from the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office, which was posted on social media by the Menomonie Golf and Country Club, describes those guidelines and says that courses following them are not in violation of the Governor’s order.
Golf courses are not specifically mentioned in Evers’ order, but in an email to State Journal reporter Mitchell Schmidt last week, Evers spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff listed golf courses as businesses that would close. The order was announced as a measure to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Golf courses are allowed to maintain their grounds as part of essential businesses under the order.
Melissa Hughes, secretary of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., on Thursday responded to questions regarding why golf courses are deemed nonessential businesses, and therefore required to stay closed during the outbreak.
The guidelines include many measures that courses across the state were either implementing or suggested to implement by multiple statewide golf associations. They include:
- Accepting only online/phone sales and scheduling tee times over the phone
- Closing clubhouses
- Restricting restaurants to carry-out only
- Prohibiting renting course-owned golf carts
- Removing cups and pins on greens
- Limiting gatherings of people on courses to nine or less
The complete story here > Dunn County golf courses allowing members to play despite Gov. Tony Evers' order