Golf and COVID-19: Latest news on course operations

UPDATED Jan 19, 2021 — After two weeks in Hawaii, the PGA Tour has returned to the U.S. mainland. Four of the next five weeks on tour will take place in the state of California, which has experienced dire COVID-19 conditions in many counties.

This week's American Express will be played in La Quinta without fans and also without the three-day amateur competition that typically featured 156 competitors alongside the PGA Tour pros. Read more from the local Desert Sun golf reporter Larry Bohannan.

Last week, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am announced there will be no amateur celebrity competitors at this year's event, scheduled for February 11-14. So there will be no Bill Murray on hand to entertain. Due to the State of California's Stay at Home Order for the Bay Area region, Pebble Beach Resorts has closed all of its hotels, restaurants and spa until February 1st. Golf courses, pro shops, health and tennis clubs remain open.

The WGC-Mexico Championship (Feb 25-28) is also relocating for 2021 to The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida. This will crate a true Florida Swing with the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players Championship and Honda Classic all in succession. The PGA Tour hopes to return to Chapultepec in 2022.

On Wednesday, January 20, Joe Biden will be inaugurated President of the United States. He has already unveiled a $1.9 trillion stimulus plan he hopes to pass through congress. His other major task on day one is expediting vaccine distribution and slowing the spread of COVID-19 and recent variants. (More: CNN)

Is your golf course open? We are compiling the latest news on city, county and statewide shelter-in-place declarations and social distancing measures and how it relates to golf operations. The following Google spreadsheet has our latest news of city, county and statewide golf course suspensions or reopenings.

Many medical experts believe that golf is one of the safest activities you can participate in during the current outbreak as long as you take proper precautions. These include social distancing with the other golfers at the course and in your group, not sharing a golf cart unless it is with an immediate family member you live with, not shaking hands after the round and not socializing in the clubhouse afterwards. US governing bodies revealed new "Back 2 Golf" guidelines on May 5th that share best practices for golf course operators and players. See their recommendations here.

Stay connected to the golf industry

GOLF Business Solutions and GolfNow are tracking each market's daily performance, including daily, weekly and year-over-year numbers as well as course suspensions. If you’re a golf course operator and would like to receive their a complimentary report, click here.

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• Topeka, Kansas rounds up 10% despite winter weather
• Sky Sports: Should courses be allowed to stay open in GB&I?
• 2022 PGA Championship pulled from Trump Bedminster (NBC News)
•Limited attendance announced for 2021 Masters (Masters.com)
• New dates for 2021 U.S. Senior Women's Open (USGA)

• Shipnuck: 2020 the year of the birdie

• Lynch: Phoenix Open shouldn't have fans
• Newsday: Muni golf sees spike in revenue and play
• Tucker: How private club life roared back in 2020
• Hawaii offering free round trip tickets to work remotely there

• Harford County (Md.) courses experience big year in rounds
• GolfNow reveals latest operator survey on COVID-19 impact
• Las Vegas courses see COVID-19 bump in rounds
• Boris Johnson unveils UK's winter outlook
• New Mexico orders courses closed again
• Old Course Hotel in Scotland closes due to COVID-19 restrictions
• Hoggard: Fall Masters unlike any other
• Waikoloa (Big Island) to reopen golf course after several months
• Western Mass. courses booming thanks to weather
• Cedar Rapids plans to repurpose closed municipal course
• President-elect Biden announced COVID-19 task force
• Ka'anapali scraps redevelopment plans
•Golf Clubs in Ireland to close a second time amid pandemic
• New York Times: The Art of letting go and getting into golf
• Deegan: Golfers got better during the 2020 pandemic
• Best year in a long time for Western New York golf courses
• Guardian: Course turned into park and now no one wants to leave
• Portland's Broadmoor Golf Course closes after 89 years
• Minnesota golf operators say 2020 was 'crazy busy'
• Tucker: New invention proposes rakes in golfers' bags
• Two Hawaii courses close permanently due to pandemic
• Most successful year ever for 50-year-old Jasper, Ind. course
• Villages in Florida allows flagsticks to be removed for putting
• Popular English course to close this fall
• University set to close golf course Nov. 1
• St. Kitts & Nevis to reopen borders Oct. 31
• Cruise industry 'optomistic' to sail by the end of 2020
• Stats say 'optimism' rising for holiday travel
• NGF: Industry leaders on sustaining golf's COVID-19 bump
• WaPo: Golf had its best summer in decades
• Hawaii set to welcome back tourists on October 15
• Golf Datatech: Retail sales up 32%
• "You can bring a bag full of White Claws" - golf hot amongst women, young people (Yahoo Finance)
• WATCH: The GolfNow Industry Report for Sept 29
• Illinois receives $5 million donation for golf course
• Cleveland.com: Exceptional golf summer in northeast Ohio
• Tokatee spared thus far in Oregon fires
• USGA announces second Golf House in Pinehurst
• Delaware's Rookery North Announces permanent closure
• Denver's City Park Golf Course officially reopens

• Pandemic set to give Texas course best year ever

• Endwell Greens Extends Closure To Entire Facility Due To COVID Cases

• Bozeman Business Boom: Why more people are teeing it up at local golf courses during COVID-19

• Possible COVID-19 exposure at Wisconsin Rapids golf course

• Heritage Oaks Golf Course temporarily closes

• Local golfers still playing around coronavirus threats

• Albuqurque courses experiencing huge rounds increases in 2020

• Vail Resorts decides to close Michigan's Mt. Brighton Golf Course permanently

• 67 employees at Georgia club test positive for COVID-19, closes club

• Rabid demand at Aspen Golf Club as tee sheet books out in 3 minutes

• Jack Nicklaus reveals he and Barbara had COVID-19 in March

• Hanover Country Club closes after 121 years

• Northern Michigan course closed due to employee's positive test

• Meriden, CT courses doing record rounds

• PGA Tour: No fans, Pro-Ams for rest of 2020

• Record rounds reported on Utah golf courses

• California's Elkins Ranch closing permanently on Labor Day

• Colorado's Keystone Resort only operating one of two courses this summer

• What it's currently like playing golf at Pebble Beach Golf Resort

• Members pitch in to save Scotland's Brora Golf Club in 2020

• Planning a golf trip this summer? Here are 10 things to consider

• These top-rated golf courses still haven't reopened

• High-quality muni golf coming to D.C. featuring Hanse, Doak and Welling input

• First PGA Tour player tests positive at event

• NGF: Military, municipal, casino courses still not open

• Atlanta-area course will turn into a public course every Tuesday

• (6/13) Yale Golf Course closed until the end of July

•(6/12) Furor over continued closure of New York City golf courses
• (6/8) Tee time intervals are wider, but rounds booked still up YoY

• (6/7) R&A launches £7 mllion COVID-19 relief fund for golf courses

• (6/7) Ohio events including Memorial, Marathon will allow spectators

• (6/4) New normal at Honolulu muni Ala Wai, others

• (6/4) Scotsman: Guidelines for Scotland golf course reopenings

•(6/3) Golf World: Inside look at America's surging desire to get back to golf

• (6/3) Suburban Chicago golf courses celebrate busy month

• (6/1) New York City golf courses devastated by prolonged closures

• (5/30) Non-residents will be permitted to play Delaware golf courses on June 1

• (5/29) Central Oregon resorts and golf courses reopening

• (5/28) Illinois golfers allowed to play in carts and foursomes beginning May 29

• (5/25) We Are Golf Phase 1 grand delivers over $4 million to golf industry

• (5/24) Shackelford: We're out of toilet paper, hand sanitizer and push carts

• (5/23) NOLA's Audubon Park golf course closed indefinitely, future uncertain

• (5/23) USGA: with maintenance budgets reduced, 5 ways golfers can help take care of the course

• (5/22) WaPo: Coronavirus makes golf courses an oasis for stir-crazy Americans

• (5/22) City of Chicago golf courses remain closed

• (5/21) Strong demand for northern Iowa golf courses this spring

• (5/20) Golf courses are thriving in social distancing: CantonRep

• (5/18) District of Columbia's three golf courses remain closed

• (5/17) Golf Business Magazine UK: Some golf courses in Wales are already reopen

• (5/16) Live golf with a different look returns to Seminole

• (5/15) Canada's golf courses aiming for touchless experience as they reopen

• (5/14) Shackelford podcast with NGF chief on COVID-19 response

• (5/10) Ireland's 5-phase plan to reopen golf

• (5/9) NPR: Yelling 'Fore', but two at a time

• (5/9) Clubs in Europe reopening but grappling with new rules

• (5/8) Michigan golf courses are now allowed to use carts

• (5/7) City of Dayton closing to golf facilities permanently

• (5/3) Daily Mail: UK courses hope to reopen by May 15

• (5/2) Alberta courses permitted to reopen May 2

• (5/1) High demand in Washington as courses finally set to open

• (5/1) Morning Read: Golf scrambles to adjust to new world order

• (4/30) Golf returns to Philly on spectacular weekend

• (4/29) New Mexico golf courses can reopen using social distancing guidelines

• (4/29) California Bay Area courses may reopen Monday

• (4/28) Bay Area counties relax social distancing guidelines, opening door for golf return

• (4/27) Alberta golf courses hoping to reopen soon

• (4/26) NYTimes: Guerilla golfers are sneaking onto closed golf courses for their fix

• (4/25) North Idaho golf courses told to limit play to state residents

• (4/24) Shut-out Pennsylvania golfers find fairways in Ohio, West Virginia

• (4/23) Travel Weekly: Golf resorts optimistic for quick return

• (4/22) PGATour.com: Walking makes a comeback, pushcart sales soar

• (4/22) Morning Read: With creativity, Golf Courses could thrive after Coronavirus

• (4/22) PGATour.com: Walking makes a comeback, pushcart sales soar

• (4/21) Ventura County, California, lightens restrictions and permits golf

• (4/20) The Golf industry must re-imagine old practices for it to recover, writes Mike Dougherty

• (4/18) Golfers hopeful their state will reopen golf courses soon, following other states

• (4/17) Star-Tribune: Sold-out tee times and happy golfers in Twin Cities

• (4/15) Pellucid Perspective on state of the golf industry, April 2020

• (4/14) Latest NGF insights on COVID-19 impact to golf industry revealed

• (4/14) Who qualifies and how to apply for the Golf Emergency Relief Fund

• (4/13) Toledo mayor reopens city courses but only to Ohioans

• (4/12) USGA unveils fund to aid state golf associations

• (4/11) Beaumont Country Club opens doors to public as a general park

• (4/9) Bloomberg: Many courses are open despite social distancing mandates

• (4/7) Forbes: Whether golfers can play depends on mandate language

• (4/6) Despite state mandate permitting golf, Florida destinations vary greatly on course openings

• (4/6) Texas Governor closes courses but opens door for walking

• (4/5) Citing bad behavior, Nevada governor closes golf courses in new order

• (4/4) Dr John Torres: NBC News Correspondent on pro golf return this summer

• (4/3) San Antonio bans playing golf on public & private courses with new order

• (4/3) Iowa golf courses open to state residents only

• (4/3) Maine Governor orders golf courses closed until May 1

• (4/2) Dunn County allowing golf members to play despite Wisconsin state mandate

• (4/1) Are Colorado golf courses allowed to open? No statewide answer in stay-at-home mandate

• (4/1) Honolulu mayor orders privately-owned golf courses to close as well

• (3/30) Ohio reverses previous ruling shutting down golf courses

• (3/30) USGA: What happens if you don't maintain a golf course?

• (3/28) Pinehurst auction announced to support employees

• (3/25) Orange County, Florida institutes Stay-at-Home order. Golf Courses exempt

• (3/25) Office of Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers confirms golf courses are included in non-essential

• (3/25) Connecticut State Golf Association (CSGA) confirms courses may remain open with restrictions

• (3/24) Bandon Dunes announced on March 24 they will close until April 6

• (3/23) In South Florida, Miami-Dade and Broward counties have suspended operations at their golf courses