Should area golf courses open back up for public play?
It’s a question that has been debated by many on social media the past week as some local courses decided to re-open and then made an about face and closed up shop once again.
On March 24, under the local state of emergency, the City of Delta ordered the closure of all golf courses, but that order was rescinded when the provincial government lifted all local state of emergency orders and put the province under a state of emergency.
Last Tuesday, some Delta courses began opening to the public or announced plans to re-open for the Easter long weekend, which prompted Mayor George Harvie to write a letter to the province seeking the ability to enforce closures of golf courses.
Delta Golf Course and Sunshine Woods both re-opened last week and despite efforts of the City of Delta, have chosen to remain open.
The Links at Hampton Cove did re-open for a few days, then last Friday announced it would suspend operations as of last Saturday until further notice.
Kings Links also planned to re-open on Good Friday, but the day before announced via its website that it would remain closed.
Tsawwassen Springs has stayed closed to the public as well as Beach Grove Golf Club, the city’s lone private facility.
Last Thursday during a media briefing, Fraser Health Authority CEO Dr. Victoria Lee was asked if golf courses are OK to remain open as long as physical distancing and other health and safety precautions are in place.
She confirmed there has been no provincial directive for courses to be closed.
“Outdoor places like parks or golf clubs, it really depends on adequate physical distancing that can take place,” Lee said.
City manager Sean McGill said Delta has not received any directives from the province following the mayor’s letter last week.
“Dr. (Bonnie) Henry herself has been asked specifically about golf courses multiple times and she talks about having to maintain physical distancing and that it’s a difficult one,” said McGill. “Under the state of local emergency we were very proactive and erred on the side of caution and closed them down. Under the provincial state of emergency we don’t have the authority now that we had before, so we will be seeking guidance from the province and the provincial health officer. If golf courses want to remain open, we ask that they run their plans through provincial health officers and we are taking their guidance from them.
“The courses have been working with us closely and have been proactive. We want to be in this for a short-term, not a long-term, and reduce the amount of time and pain that this impacts us all.”
