Golf courses to reopen in PA, NJ with coronavirus-conscious set of rules

Jenn and Ron Jaworski talk about the reopening of golf courses in PA, NJ

Jenn and Jaws are talking about the reopening of golf courses.

PHILADELPHIA - As the governors from Pennsylvania and New Jersey plan to reopen businesses, they’re starting slowly this weekend with local golf courses, but it won't be business as usual.

FOX 29’s Jenn Frederick spoke with some of the staff of Riverton Country Club about the new measures in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“At our course, we’re going to put Styrofoam in so the balls with go in and you just pick it out. You can’t touch the flag stick, no rakes, every rake has been taking off the property. Some clubs have been turning the cups upside down,” General Manager Joe Mendez said.

New Jersey golf courses and country clubs are only permitted to have pairs play together at once. The state is also limiting games to groups of no more than four.

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In Pennsylvania, both pairs and groups of 4 can play together. At Riverton Country Club, the usual wait time between tee times has been extended to put more distancing between golfers.

“We usually start at 7:30 a.m. and we go to 6pm for tee times. So 12 hours of tee time and we can still only get 45 times in a day. With only 2 at a time, that’s only 90 people on the golf course every day.," Mendez said.

The Riverton Country Club typically sees 180-200 golfers on a day when the weather is good, Mendez estimates.

While the limitations at golf courses will be for the foreseeable future, courses say that you are allowed to bring your own drinks, but be cautious of the people around you while you’re trying to have fun.

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