Last week, Governor Evers extended his “Safer at Home” order for the state of Wisconsin through May 26.

While frustration was nearly audible throughout closed down communities, there was at least one piece of positive news that came with it: Golf courses are permitted to open, with serious restrictions, on Friday, April 24.

The 24th is tomorrow, and while it won’t be golf as usual, at least it’s golf. Besides, players aren’t complaining as tee sheets across the Milwaukee area are filling up quickly.

Most courses are just about booked solid for tomorrow, and many through the weekend. Some courses, like Lawsonia, are spreading out tee times as much as 20 minutes, although the average is closer to 12-15. Long intervals between tee times should help with social distancing, and should also help keep play moving.

So what will be different about golf in the time of Coronavirus?

Alcohol and food / beverage sales will not be allowed, in general, and on-course amenities like scorecards and tees, ball washers, bottled water and in many cases even garbage cans will be noticeably gone.

There will be a foam insert in the cups that rises an inch over the hole or rests an inch below it and will not allow the flags to be removed. As many common touch points as possible will be eliminated.

Most courses have included their adapted rules in pushed emails this week, but Oshkosh Country Club’s message about updated rules and regulations seemed to be the most succinct and universal:

Covid-19 Rules and Regulations:

1. The use of golf carts is prohibited.
2. Social Distancing Requirements must be observed at all times, unless the players reside in the same living unit or household.
3. All tee times and payments must be made in advance online or by phone.
4. Clubhouses and pro shops must remain closed.
5. Tee times must be spaced to avoid multiple foursomes from clustering or gathering at any stage of the course.
6. Driving ranges and miniature golf must remain closed.
7. Sales of beer, liquor and food are prohibited.
8. Water is NOT available on the course
9. Flag sticks and Cups will be placed 1” above the ground.

A list of known rates for Milwaukee area courses that will be open tomorrow:

Blackstone Creek (Germantown): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25
Broadlands (North Prairie): 18 holes-$38.50, 9 holes-$20
Edgewood (Big Bend): 18 holes-$24, 9 holes-$16
Fairways of Woodside (Sussex): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25
Fire Ridge (Grafton): 18 holes-$45, 9 holes-$25
Ironwood (Lisbon): 18 holes-$36, 9 holes-$21
Kettle Hills (Richfield): 18 holes-$29
The Golf Courses at Lawsonia (Green Lake): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25
MorningStar (Waukesha): 18 holes-$59, 9 holes-$34
The Oaks (Cottage Grove): 18 holes-$39, 9 holes-$25
Oshkosh Country Club (now semi-private): 18 holes-$45, 9 holes-$25
Pewaukee GC (Pewaukee): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25
Scenic View (Slinger): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25
Silver Spring (Menomonee Falls): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25
Songbird Hills (Hartland): 18 holes: $19.50, 9 holes-$11.50
The Bog (Saukville): 18 holes-$65, 9 holes-$40
Western Lakes (Pewaukee): 18 holes-$23, 9 holes-$15
Wild Rock (Wisconsin Dells): 18 holes-$40, 9 holes-$25
Wild Rock, Woods Course (Wisconsin Dells): 9 holes-$15

Waukesha county courses:
Moor Downs (Waukesha): 18 holes-$16, 9 holes-$13
Wanaki (Menomonee Falls): 18 holes-$31, 9 holes-$19
Nagawaukee (Pewaukee): 18 holes-$34.50, 9 holes-$21.50

Milwaukee county courses:
Brown Deer (Milwaukee): 18 holes-$32, 9 holes-$20
Dretzka, Whitnall, Oakwood (Milwauee): 18 holes-$20, 9 holes-$11
Currie, Grant, Greenfield (Milwaukee): 18 holes-$18, 9 holes-$11
Lincoln (Milwaukee): 9 holes-$11

At the risk of sounding preachy…

As we embark on this new world of restricted golf, I want you all to understand that there are people in the community who think it’s unfair we’re allowed to play our favorite hobby while the rest of the state is quarantined in their homes.

I get it.

I’ve been at home with my wife and kids for a month and a half straight and we’re all getting stir crazy as we do our part to flatten the curve and change the narrative on COVID-19.

While I’m not the kind of person who’d report others for slipping up, I know there are people just waiting for it to happen so they can jump all over them.

That said, I implore you all to use common sense on the course. Practice social distancing and please do your part to avoid shining a negative light on the entire golfing community. There are a whole lot of people with a whole lot of nothing to do, and it can truly take one or two idiots to screw up everything for all of us.

Consider what happened in Illinois: The morning after courses were allowed to open, ~ 300 players showed up at the same Chicago course, at the same time, and practiced zero social distancing. As you’d guess, their golfing privileges are gone.

While it may not seem like it, getting to golf during a national quarantine is a privilege that just might help save some of our sanity and potentially course owners’ businesses. So, for both avid golfers’ sanity and for the great people whose livelihood rely on golf being able to be played, let’s not be like Illinois.

We’re going to get through this Coronavirus pandemic and, like you, I can’t wait to return to playing our great game again soon. More than anything, though, I can’t wait to get back to a somewhat normal life [and golf] sometime in 2020.

Wishing all of you and your families good health and safety during these scary times. Again, don’t be like Illinois 🙂