Opening of golf courses offers a major economic boost
Observer-Reporter
Local golf courses will be allowed to open starting Friday.
Jim Downey/For the Observer-Reporter
The 10th tee at Chippewa Golf Course has been a busy place since golf reopened May 1.
At most golf courses in the area, this week has gone from peace and quiet to mass excitement in a little more than a 24-hour period Monday.
The decision by Gov. Tom Wolf to open the golf courses this Friday caught most places by surprise. It also set off a barrage of phone calls from cooped up golfers attempting to make a tee time.
Not only did most pro shops find their time consumed by answering the phone, but there also was the task of calling back workers who had either been laid off or had not started this seasonal work.
A very unscientific study – a phone call to nearly all the courses in Washington County – found that approximately 130 people, full and part time, have been called back to work and more might be on the horizon if this opening goes well.
The economic impact to the area is hard to tell. But Jeff Kotula, president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, said in an email that golf is responsible for a major portion of the $193.8 million in economic activity in the county.
“Not only do golfers directly support jobs at local courses, but also indirectly help benefit restaurants, local shops and suppliers who cater to them,” Kotula said in the email. “Additionally, Washington County is known for several premier golf courses such as Southpointe Golf Club, Lone Pine Country Club, Valleybrook Country Club and Nemacolin Country Club, which is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. These courses, along with our great public courses, attract golfers from across our region, allowing us to market both the golf courses and other local attraction to our visitors.”
While many courses have seasonal full-time maintenance workers, the majority of workers are part-time. But it’s not just a simple task to be called back. They need to be retrained and there is little time remaining.
Golf courses will have to follow guidelines set up by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including these:
- disinfecting golf carts after each round, including steering wheel, bag clips and touch-screen monitors that show yardage
- no touching or removing the flagstick
- bunker rakes should be removed
- no blocking the cup from the ball entering the hole
- permitting only one rider to a cart
- players must put their own bags on a cart.
- restaurants and dining areas must remain closed
- pro shops can be open for limited business
“Opening the golf courses will have a positive psychological effect on our residents,” Kotula said. “Our county residents have been diligently following social distancing and self-quarantining for nearly two months and it is great to see signs of things slowly getting back to normal. For now, we at the chamber still encourage social distancing even on the golf course. This seems to come naturally to me, as I am always searching for my golf balls in the weeds, sand trap or stream.”
Marinas, guided fishing trips and privately owned campgrounds also will be able to open on Friday, but campgrounds in state parks must remain closed through May 14.
Social distancing and masking guidelines will be required just as for other essential businesses.