Massachusetts allows golf courses to reopen, with restrictions, despite stay-at-home order

Residents of Massachusetts can once again golf, as Gov. Charlie Baker (R) allowed courses to reopen with some safety guidelines in place.

While the state’s webpage about essential businesses that can stay open during the pandemic still says that golf courses are nonessential, it was updated Thursday morning to say the facilities “may permit individuals access to the property so long as there are no gatherings of any kind, appropriate social distancing of six feet between individuals is strictly followed.”

Additional strict guidelines that courses must follow were also listed. All course staff must wear masks at all times, caddies and golf carts are still prohibited, groups can be no larger than four golfers and players must wait in their cars until 15 minutes before their tee times. 

All other recreational parts of courses, such as pro shops, restaurants and locker rooms, must still be closed.

Of the states that forced golf courses to close, Massachusetts is the last one to allow them to reopen, according to Boston’s NPR station, WBUR. For example, New York — the state hit hardest by the pandemic — allowed courses to reopen in mid-April, while New Jersey reopened its courses over the weekend.