RHODE ISLAND GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION

As the COVID-19 emergency disaster protocols remain in place through May 8, it is critical for everyone to continue to strictly comply with the R.I. Department of Business Regulations’ (DBR) guidance for golf courses.

Click here for document

Also, Governor Raimondo presented indicators to measure the state's readiness to reopen in general.

Below is an important message from Bob Ward, RIGA Executive Director, about new restrictions for all Rhode Island golf courses starting today Wednesday, April 8, 2020.
Thank you,
Julie Heston, Chapter Executive

Hi everyone,
 
I first want to thank you all for your efforts the last couple of weeks with changing rules and policies. I understand how stressful it has been. Minus a couple glitches here and there, I believe we are doing our best to represent the golf industry in a positive way.
 
Many of the complaints that are being received at the state level are from a non-golfing population who don't understand all the great things golf gives back to our communities in a charitable way each year and the economic impact we have with our workforce.
 
An explain on the situation at Triggs Memorial. The Mayor of Providence made a decision to shut down all city parks and recreational facilities. Triggs is owned by the city of Providence and operated by a management company. Triggs was not shut down for violating any of the rules and guidelines that were in place; it was strictly a citywide decision on the Mayor's part.
 
Now moving toward the golf season.
 
You will all have new restrictions starting Wednesday, April 8th which may be difficult to implement, but I believe the weather may help you get through the next couple of days in preparation for the weekend.
 
In order to keep golf open in Rhode Island we were asked to further safety measures to ensure that the spread of COVID-19 becomes minimal.
 
Here are the latest regulations which continue or start Wednesday, April 8th:
 

• All previous guidelines are still in place.
• Out of state residents are not allowed to play golf publicly or privately.
• All food and beverage must be take out only.
• Private club monthly food minimums. Out of state residents cannot travel into Rhode Island for takeout service. Please create policies where food minimums can be addressed.
• Groups of five or more must not congregate anywhere on the property before or after playing according to the Governor's Executive Order.
• Practice putting greens, driving ranges and chipping areas must be closed.
• Groups of play are restricted to no more than FOUR players at one time.
• Parking lots must be monitored by the club to ensure that tailgating does not happen.
• Flagsticks must remain in the hole. It is recommended that hole liners be raised or pool noodles be added to the stick so picking a ball out of the hole doesn't occur.
• Bunker rakes must be removed and ball washers must be removed or covered.
• New Tee Time policy must be 15 minutes between groups.
• Golf carts are NOT allowed.
• Personal push carts are allowed only if brought by the golfer, club push carts are not allowed.
• All golfers must use their own golf clubs. Sharing golf clubs or rental golf clubs are not allowed.

Please communicate with your members or customers of these new rules and add that they must stay in their car until five minutes before their tee time and go directly to the first tee.

As we prepare for what will come next, please start thinking about business plans that will get you through the season. Social gathering restrictions will continue well into the summer. Some of your normal business practices will have to be modified.
 
I have been in discussion with the other golf industry leaders in New England. We are jointly having discussions on creating a best practices information piece as we get into the main part of the golf season.

Realistically, we are going to have restrictions on our business models that will make running a golf course in a traditional fashion difficult.  Please feel free to communicate with me as we prepare for a difficult and trying time in our history. This is not easy or comfortable but we must follow rules and regulations to help stop the spread of this virus. 
 
One other bit of information is that maintenance crews are allowed to work and take care of turf. Please make sure they are following social distancing rules. They should be working in an area where groups of no more than five will gather and should not be taking breaks or lunch together.
 
Please be safe and remember I am only the messenger. It took a lot of work to keep us open for the near future. We are the only state in New England that has golf as an option. Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are completely shut down and Connecticut has restrictions in many of its counties.

Stay safe,

Bob

Robert Ward
Executive Director
Rhode Island Golf Association

Below is a message from Bob Ward, RIGA Executive Director, with important information for golf courses about maintaining social distancing practices.

Hello everyone,
I was contacted by the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulations this afternoon. After a long conversation about policies, golf courses will be able to stay open through this weekend as long as we use better common sense and have rules in place that fall within the social distancing orders that the Governor is requiring.

We are all in this conversation together in the Department's eyes. Doesn't matter if you are a private club, semi-private club or public facility. They have been sent photos and videos from plenty of golf courses both public and private. 

There are three major issues that need to be addressed:

1. Tee time intervals need to be restricted to no less than 12 minutes.
If you get behind on the first tee, you must have a starter who keeps people more than six feet apart from one another. If you are a non-tee time club, you must create a tee time system for this upcoming weekend.

2. Under the Governor's emergency order, golfers from out of state ARE NOT allowed to play golf until the order is lifted or they can show proof that they self quarantined for more than 14 days.

3. Most Important. There are videos of golfers hanging out in the parking lot eating, drinking and socializing after golf has ended.

You MUST have an employee available to keep the parking lot area clear once people finish playing golf. I would suggest you email your golfers and let them know that if they want to order food, they must call when playing the last hole, pick it up to go and then immediately leave the property.

I would suggest shutting down putting greens, chipping areas and ranges. These are the areas where golfers usually congregate before they play golf.

The State of Rhode Island will have people traveling to golf courses this weekend checking things out. If we do not comply with these requests, the Governor will shut down all golf courses on Monday afternoon.

Please use good common sense the rest of this week and moving forward. Post signs, email your golfers, have them pay by credit card, limit one cart per person or walking only and take all the necessary steps (including sanitary) to ensure they don't shut us down.

Use the guidelines sent to us by the USGA for playing under these social distancing rules.

I will say I have received many calls and emails this week on both sides of the fence. I know that some clubs have already put good policies in place and have enforced social distance rules. Please keep up the good work and hopefully we have a better weekend. Please remember that your employees are being put at risk and feel uncomfortable with certain situations that are going on Use good judgement not only with golfers but with your employees also.

As an aside, I'm only the messenger not the guy making the rules. I'm communicating a message, if someone shows up at your club this weekend and things don't look favorable to our industry and the safety practices the Governor requires, we will all be shut down on Monday afternoon.

Regards,
Bob

Robert Ward
Executive Director
Rhode Island Golf Association

Good morning all,

I just wanted to provide some information for you all regarding April 1, the opening of score posting in Rhode Island.
 
It will go on as scheduled. The USGA is not going to postpone it due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) So tee markers need to be out, etc.
 
The USGA has expressed many different strategies to lower the risk of spreading the virus by using certain practices. Such as: removing bunker rakes, raising cup liners, inserting pool noodles or pvc pipe in the cup to keep the ball from going down into it and disinfecting flagsticks each day.
 
Click here to read their best practices.
 
Thank you for all that you do.

Bob

Robert Ward
Executive Director
Rhode Island Golf Association

Below is a link to an article posted on Yahoo Sports written by Mike Stachura from Golf Digest  It includes a link to the GCSAA website which takes to you their COVID-19 resource page. GCSAA posts updates for each state twice a day.

Click here for article

Click here for GCSAA COVID-19 resource page

In an effort to keep on top of the situation affecting businesses in Rhode Island, we were asked to come up with a letter.  Right now golf courses in RI can be open and can be maintained but things can change.

Below is a link to a letter that was edited from a template that Kevin Doyle, GCSAA Northeast Field Representative, put together for the Alliance of Massachusetts Golf Organizations (AMGO).  Feel free to forward this to state representatives and anyone else that may be able to help.

Click here for letter

We recently received an update from Bob Ward, Executive Director for the Rhode Island Golf Association, regarding the Governor's press conference held today.  Please see information below.

After the Governor's press conference today the ability to allow people to play golf is good. Please follow the correct practices to ensure that staff members and golfers remain safe.

Here are some of the most common ideas that are being used:
1.    12-15 minute tee times to spread golfers out
2.    One person per golf cart
3.    Allowing golfers to bring their own push cart
4.    Raising hole liners out of the green a couple inches so golfers do not hole out and reach into a cup
5.    Removing all rakes from bunkers
6.    Covering or removing ball washers
7.    Keeping groups around the clubhouses once golf is complete to less than 10 people
8.    Giving people at public facilities the option to pay with a credit card online 

Hello Fellow Members of the RIGCSA,

I would like to give you an update of what the RIGCSA Board of Directors along with Julie Heston have been doing in relation to the daily challenges of the ongoing pandemic.

We are members of the RI Golf Council, which was basically formed to initiate National Golf Day in the state and to then help fund a comprehensive study of the economic impact of the golf and turf industry in the state.  Well that has morphed into trying to help educate elected officials of steps courses are taking to remain open, with the highest emphasis on safety for golfers and workers in order to contain the spread of the virus.  A joint letter written by Bob Ward, RIGA Director was sent to the offices of the governor and lieutenant governor (click here to view letter). This letter was focused on keeping courses open, with the safety precautions stressed.

The RIGCSA has sent a letter to the governor and lieutenant governor, strictly from our view of allowing courses to continue to maintain the turf (click here to view letter).  As the situation changes daily, we know that the turf, weeds, insects and disease will not adhere to government mandates.  This is a key time for all of us, and if a stoppage were to occur, once lifted none would be able to resume normal operations.  And probably not resume normal operations for several weeks after the lifting of restrictions.  There has not been a complete shut down as of yet, but we are trying to be proactive.

The GCSAA has also sent out documents for associations and I assume individual members to use to inform elected officials and possibly club officials of ideas and techniques being found in the industry.

• Click here for GCSAA document on communicating safety precautions the golf industry is taking concerning play

• Click here for GCSAA document on how to communicate the necessity of golf course maintenance when closed to the public

I know many of you have joined our FaceBook page and have seen blips of what is transpiring.  It has become a great means of communication and I suggest to all to join and use this as another tool of communication.  For those of you not wanting to join FB for different security or privacy reasons, you can join under a pseudonym with no personal info attached.  Just let one of the administrators know it is you trying to join the group; RI Golf Course Superintendents.

These are trying times for all.  I just wanted to assure you that our board is working with others on important issues and we will keep you informed as much as possible.

We hope if you have questions or concerns you will contact us.

Sincerely,
Michael Varkonyi