Golf amid the pandemic: Some courses in Virginia remain open, but options are vanishing

Mike Miller hasn’t eaten takeout in five weeks. The 36-year-old Virginia resident has been at home with his family during the coronavirus pandemic trying his best to abide by the stay-at-home order imposed last month.

But there is a habit Mr. Miller can’t quit — one that has him sneaking off from his wife and children of 6, 4 and 1.

He hits the golf course.

“Those are my three little sanctuaries over the last four weeks or so,” said Mr. Miller, who has played golf three times since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Although golf courses aren’t considered “essential” businesses in nearby Maryland and the District, golfers looking to get their fixes have options in Virginia. The state isn’t alone: An estimated 44% of courses across the country have remained open, according to the National Golf Foundation.

But clubs are taking precautions to keep conditions safe for golfers and for their own employees. They also are preparing for a rapidly changing environment as governments dictate what can and cannot stay open. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, revised the state’s stay-at-home order Thursday to include golf courses under “nonessential businesses” and will keep them closed until at least April 29.

Still, golf communities are finding ways to adapt.

“The nature of golf is that it is a sport that, with proper social distancing, modified business operations, very strict protocols, it is feasible to be played,” said Erik Matuszewski, editorial director for the National Golf Foundation.

Maryland’s private and public courses shut down on March 23 when Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, announced that all nonessential businesses must close.

The District’s three public courses — East Potomac Park, Langston and Rock Creek — closed this week at the direction of the National Park Service, which controls the land where the courses lie. East Potomac Park and Langston received permission to reopen Wednesday provided they follow stringent health and safety precautions, but D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser removed golf and tennis from the list of allowable recreational activities during the pandemic.

Virginia’s government is taking a different approach. Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, was asked specifically about the sport the day he announced the state’s stay-at-home order.

“People can still go to the golf course and play golf,” the governor said on March 30.

Still, in some parts of Virginia closer to the District, golf courses have started shutting down. The Fairfax County Park Authority, which operates public courses in Alexandria and elsewhere, suspended play to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority’s three courses — Algonkian, Brambleton and Pohick Bay — have been closed for almost four weeks.

For those still open, employees and players alike are learning how to avoid unnecessary contact. Mr. Matuszewski said courses have been accepting payments digitally before rounds begin. Likewise, “high-touch items” — bunker rakes, ball washers, water jugs — have been removed from play, he said.

When Mr. Miller went to River Creek Club, a private course in Leesburg, his group of four each rode in separate carts, didn’t remove the flag pin and even had an elevated hole on each green so golfers wouldn’t have to reach as deep for their ball. In his last few rounds, he said, his playing partners have been respectful of keeping their distance: no high-fives, no unnecessary touching.

At Glenwood, a public course in Richmond, the clubhouse is closed. Carts are still in use, but the staff is cleaning them with bleach every day. Business at Glenwood has been slower than usual for this time of year, co-owner Harry Griffin said, though not so slow that the course has had to close.

“I think most of golf this day and time is played by older, senior-type people,” Mr. Griffin said. “They’ve been very cautious of this virus. I feel like they’re just not playing.”

Some private courses in Virginia have shut down voluntarily, but others remain active. Members of the Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls can still book tee times, even if the man whose name it bears has been too busy to play. According to Trumpgolfcount.com, President Trump hasn’t played golf in more than a month, the longest stretch of his presidency.

When he is not golfing, Mr. Miller spends time hitting whiffle balls in the front yard of his Ashburn home with his three children. He is not sure when he will golf next with reports of the District potentially becoming a hot spot for COVID-19 cases.

“We’ll see,” Mr. Miller said. “If a nice day comes up and my one buddy wants to get out again, [then sure]. … You almost just want to wait it out and give it another two more weeks, but I don’t know. We’ll have to see what comes.”