Minnesota golf courses hoping to open with social distancing measures in place

Chris Long

Minnesota golf course owners and the Minnesota Golf Association are hoping Governor Tim Walz adds their sport to the list of approved outdoor activities permitted under the new stay-at-home order.

Click the video box on this page to see KSTP Sports’ story on how golf courses think they can safely operate during the coronavirus pandemic and why some courses wouldn’t survive if they can’t.

Most courses would either be open or preparing to open very soon if not for precautions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Course operators believe social distancing measures could be put in place to keep golf safe. Some of the steps would be prohibiting or limiting golf carts, removing rakes from bunkers, using special cup inserts to prevent golf balls from dropping all the way into the hole, leaving flagsticks untouched, and moving to a contactless online payment system for greens fees.

While every corner of the economy and every industry is feeling the effect of the coronavirus pandemic, it comes in what had already been a tough stretch for Minnesota’s golf industry.

“Last year and the year before were very short seasons with a lot of rain," explains Steve Whillock, the course pro at Oakdale’s Oak Marsh GC and president of the state’s Golf Course Owners Association. "It’s been three years since we’ve had nice profits in the golf business."

Famous for being among the first Twin Cities courses to open each year, Oak Marsh opened this season on March 15th.

“We were rockin’ and rollin," Whillock said. "We had six or seven days of golf with 150-200 players behind us and we were finally looking forward to getting the ship above water and cruising along and have a profitable year. and then this hit.”

While a small number of courses have remained open, Whillock joined the majority of course owners in closing down to await a firm decision from the state.

“Our intention at this time is to just heed the governor’s plans, be safe, don’t try to push the envelope at this time,” he said.

Losing greens fees is only part of the equation for golf facilities, worsening an already difficult blow of losing food and beverage operations.

“We survived by doing fundraisers, golf outings, banquets, weddings," Whillock said. "We’ll lose easily a half million dollars before we… or if we do go back to normal.

"I hope this doesn’t take many of us down, but you never know.”

On Friday, Governor Walz said he intends to consult with medical advisors to examine if golf is reasonable to include in the list of permitted, safe activities.

"I will assure people we are still discussing this," Walz said at the end of his Friday press briefing. "I’m encouraging people to do healthy things. I make the argument with my team, I’ll listen to the health experts on this. If there is the potential to be able to allow people to pay online to get out there and be able to do this, we’ll explore that."

“It’s a legitimate outdoor activity," Walz added. "I can tell you people are stuck at home and they really want to do this.

“We have to try to understand how to reduce the spread, how to up our capacity, how to plan for the future, but also to live our lives in a way that is sustainable. So please know we’re working it."

According to the Minnesota Golf Association, 11 of the 19 states under similar stay-at-home mandates are permitting golf to be played – provided steps are taken to maintain social distancing.

The MGA’s numbers estimate golf’s economic impact to be $2.3-billion annually, generating just over $200-million in state and local taxes.