Could golf season reopen soon? It’s possible.
Jesse Menachem, executive director/CEO of Mass Golf, and the Alliance of Massachusetts Golf Organizations (AMGO) are prepared to open when given the green light from Gov. Charlie Baker and his Reopening Advisory Board.
According to statement released by the AMGO on Friday, the group will meet this weekend with the Reopening Advisory Board to present its plan to reopen.
Courses have been closed since March. All nonessential businesses, including golf courses, are closed until May 18.
“We are prepared and equipped for golf to safely resume when given the all clear by our state government,” the statement read. “There is a shared belief that golf can be played in a safe and measured way through guidelines established by AMGO that will be managed by facilities across the state.”
Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle is on the 17-member Advisory Board that is co-chaired by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy.
In his press conference on Wednesday, Baker was asked about reopening golf courses.
“I think generally I’m going to try to leave most of the decisions about safe openings to the work that’s being done by the Reopening Advisory Board, and certainly that’s something that I know they’ll hear from people about,” Baker said.
In an interview with Mass Golf’s communication director Catherine Carmignani and posted on the organizations website on Thursday, Menachem said they were ready to reopen.
“We are ready to go. We are prepared,” Menachem said. “We have our materials ready, set and to be delivered to work through with (the Advisory Board) to stress and to inform them and educate them that we can prepare for golf to open up as soon as possible in a safe and measured environment.”
Menachem said Mass Golf presented Baker last week with a packet that highlighted the mental and physical health benefits of golf.
“We know we can walk, we know we can bike, we know we can hike,” Menachem said. “This is another example to stay healthy, reduce stress, get out and socially distance in an environment that can be safe and measured.”
Courses in Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maine opened its courses on Friday. There are a number of guidelines for golfers according to the state’s COVID-19 Prevention Checklist Industry Guidance, including: “Out-of-state golfers will not play on Maine golf courses until the Executive Order requiring a 14 day quarantine for out-of -state visitors is lifted by the State.”
Rhode Island is open for golf, but not for out-of-state golfers. Connecticut is open for all golfers.
“That’s a frustrating component right now,” Menachem said. “We don’t want residents leaving the state and coming back. It’s not a good situation that our residents are heading down or out to these other places to play. It’s certainly not helping our golf business here. We want to make sure we protect our member clubs, our facilities.”
Menachem said Mass Golf has worked with AMGO and neighboring affiliates since March to create guidelines for golfers and courses to follow should the sport be allowed to open.
“We feel golf, in a very safe and measured way, can be played as soon as possible,” Menachem said. “We have taken extreme measures to create guidelines, best practices our facilities can follow, that golfers can utilize. We find golf as a game of integrity. We know the rules of golf hold true in a game and we know golfers can abide by that. We look at these guidelines and these measures as just another potential rule of golf to consider and something that will allow us to play in the near future and going forward.”
Mike Moran can be reached at mmoran@gazettenet.com. Follow on Twitter @mikemoranDHG.