Thought I’d share with the group that Worthington Manor is opening May 7th due to the lack of communication from the State of MD and Hogan. Kudos to them!
here is their message:
As directed by Governor Larry Hogan, we have been closed for over 43 days. As of today, neither Governor Hogan nor anyone from his office, has acknowledged or responded to any correspondences from the Maryland Golf Council; Maryland State Golf Association; PGA – Mid-Atlantic; National Golf Course Owners Association – Mid-Atlantic; Golf Course Superintendents Association of America – Mid-Atlantic; Middle Atlantic Golf Association; golf course owners or country clubs.
During the entire time of Maryland golf course closures, neighboring states Virginia, Delaware and West Virginia golf courses have remained open and operating under safety guidelines. Pennsylvania golf courses opened on May 1, 2020 enabling Maryland golfers to travel by the thousands every day out of state. We and all the above organizations have clearly communicated that Maryland residents traveling to neighboring states cannot be safer than permitting Maryland courses to open.
Prior to being closed by the Governor, we fully adopted new mitigation procedures in alliance with NGCOA’s PARK and PLAY program. These measures align with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “social distancing” and sanitation practices, and have been reviewed and approved by a physician at the Infectious Diseases Society of America. There have also been numerous articles published quoting Infectious Diseases Doctors stating, with the taking of some precautions, golf is likely safe. These articles were published before knowing COVID-19, as with all viruses, does not survive in direct sun light.
On Monday, May 4, 2020 Ocean City announced they are opening the beach and boardwalk on Saturday, May 9,2020 for local residents only. How will they determine who is and who isn’t a local resident and how can the opening of a public beach and boardwalk without any social distancing implementations be safer than playing golf? The only thing that may control crowds this weekend is the forecast for cool weather.
Governor Hogan has said on numerous occasions “I’m a lifelong small businessman, and nothing matters to me more than getting our economy back on track.” Worthington Manor Golf Club is a small family business. We have adopted appropriate and guided safety measures so we can safely operate. The Governor has been unresponsive.
It is important we impress upon our golfers in no way are we taking this crisis lightly! We have full respect for the mitigation procedures and protocols and have followed those stipulated by the state. However, all indicators continue to support safe outside activities. Golf falls within these guidelines. Given forty-seven other states are open for golfing, it is clear there is governmental consensus. With the lack of communication we are experiencing regarding next steps, we have no choice but to chart our own path.
Taking all of this into consideration and with the measures we have put into place, we believe it is time to open our golf course. On Thursday, May 7, 2020 we intend to proceed. We will require all golfers to follow strict guidelines and safety protocols. Until further notice, we are requiring all members and golfers to review our COVID-19 Pandemic Operating Procedures and to sign our Golfer Code of Conduct & COVID-19 Release Form. This signature will be required before anyone will be permitted to play. Please visit our COVID-19 Pandemic Operating Procedures page where you’ll find a link to access our Golfer Code of Conduct & COVID-19 Release Form to be signed before arriving to play. Also, a COVID-19 link is easily accessible on our website located at the top right of the page.
Also, we will not post anything about opening on social media. We request you also please refrain from doing so.
Thank you for your support and understanding as we strive to provide a safe and healthy environment for our golfers!
Robert Sturges, Owner
Worthington Manor Golf Club