Deemed ‘essential,’ Sacramento golf courses remain open - and crowded - during coronavirus
With the state under a mandatory stay-at-home order to slow the further spread of the coronavirus, golf courses have closed throughout the Bay Area, San Diego and Fresno. But in Sacramento, they remain open.
Although golf was not mentioned in the county’s March 19 stay-at-home order, Sacramento County Health Director Peter Beilenson told Morton Golf, which operates the city courses, that the sport is considered an “essential activity” in the county, said Grace Nunez, a city spokeswoman.
The four city of Sacramento courses remain open: William Land, Haggin Oaks, Bing Maloney and Bartley Cavanaugh. The three county courses are also open: Ancil Hoffman, Mather and Cherry Island.
And there’s evidence that business is steady at some courses. More than 70 cars were in the parking lot of Bing Maloney on Wednesday afternoon. A dozen golfers warmed up on the driving range, taking swings just a few feet apart. Groups of golfers could be seen on most of the holes, but those in carts rode alone.
There were another 20 or so cars parked at the William Land Golf Course. But for most of the day, squirrels outnumbered golfers at the nine-hole course in the heart of the city. Still, the course has been packed on some recent weekend days, with groups of golfers backed up on every hole.
Drew Moreno, a regular there, has been golfing at the course as long as he can remember. Grateful the course was staying open during the pandemic, he gathered there with his friends and father for rounds Wednesday.
“This is what we do,” Moreno said, winking at his father, Tommy McNabay. “This is our routine. This is our time together.”
How golf courses are responding to COVID-19
To prevent the spread of the virus, the city courses are not renting clubs; have closed all onsite restaurants; are only allowing one person per golf cart; removed tables and chairs; supplied staff with gloves and hand sanitizer; are urging social distancing; and have increased cleaning of “high-touch” areas such as basket handles, Nunez said in an email.
For the county courses, staff also limit the golf carts to one person, are frequently sanitizing surfaces and are urging golfers to wash their hands frequently and practice social distancing, said Janna Haynes, county spokeswoman.
In addition, rakes for sand traps and ball washers have been removed or closed, and flag sticks removed, course officials said.
Mike Woods, the PGA Director of Golf at Haggin Oaks, said most people are following the rules.
“We’ve found that 95 percent of people are into this and it resonates,” Woods said. “People want to do the right thing in spacing because they want to keep golfing.”
When crowds start to form, there’s a firm reminder. “We say, ‘Hey, six feet apart if we want to stay open,’ and people want to stay open,” Woods said.
“People want to golf, need to golf, so the walls don’t close in on them at home,” Woods said. “When this is all over, I’m thinking of branding that - Golf is an essential exercise.”
It goes deeper than that, too, said Land Park Course employee Wyatt Laining.
“Golf is a chance to walk, get air in your lungs and to get that bit of masculinity out,” Laining said with a laugh. “It’s why people like Fantasy Football. You are the guy. Same with golf. It’s a chance to get outside. You can only stay indoors and watch so many episodes of ‘Cheers’ before you lose it.”
Should people be golfing?
But not everyone agreed with the decision to leave the golf courses open while the number of coronavirus cases in the county continues to rise. As of Wednesday, there were 319 cases and nine deaths - 90 new infections from two days earlier.
Mary Lewis, 63, walks the Land Park trails often, usually alone. She said she has been alarmed at the sight of golfers at the William Land course.
“I don’t understand any of this,” she said, pointing to the nearby course. “I thought social distancing meant not to be in packs close together. I know people want to get fresh air, but either do it alone or don’t do it at all.”
The number of golfers visiting the courses has been down about 25 percent since the stay-at-home order started, course officials said.
It’s up to California county officials to decide whether to close courses. In San Luis Obispo, like Sacramento, courses remain open. On Tuesday, six Bay Area counties closed all golf courses, as well as parks and tennis courts. They will remain closed at least through May 1.
In addition to golf courses, city of Sacramento parks also remain open, though officials ask visitors not to use the playgrounds or leave trash behind.
Last week, with large groups flocking on the weekends to some state parks, Gov. Gavin Newsom closed the parking lots at all 280 state parks.
Some parks close due to coronavirus
Playgrounds, sports fields and courts in Elk Grove will close as the city tries to tamp down the potential spread of the new coronavirus in the coming weeks.
The Cosumnes Community Services District said those facilities at each of the city’s 98 parks will be closed to deter large gatherings. The district oversees parks and fire services in the city.
The agency said parks and trails for walking, running and riding will remain open for so-called “passive recreation,” urging visitors to maintain the recommended social distancing guidance and stay 6-feet apart.
“We were getting sporadic reports of people gathering and having basketball games and different sport games so we ramped up our closure process to try and send a clearer message,” said Steve Sims, who oversees parks and neighborhood services.
Sims said they wrapped caution tape around playgrounds and removed basketball hoop rims to discourage people from forming groups. The closures are effective Wednesday, he said.
At least 33 cases of COVID-19, a new respiratory illness, have been confirmed in Elk Grove, the agency said. At least three of the nine deaths reported by Sacramento County occurred in the city, including a person in their 90s who died at Carlton Senior Living.
Local governments in recent weeks have begun restricting public spaces as many residents flock to parks while the state is under an order to shelter in place. The city of Folsom also said use of its park facilities will be limited.
Many state parks have already moved in a similar direction after Gov. Gavin Newsom called for parking lots to be closed. The governor has resisted forcefully restricting people to their homes and has called for “social pressure” instead.
This story was originally published April 2, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
