Some people are flocking to Tarrant County. Not for toilet paper, but to play golf
Brad Pomeroy drove more than hour from his home in Kemp to play a round of golf at Fort Worth’s Rockwood Golf Course on Thursday.
Unlike nearby Dallas County and Kaufman County closing its golf courses, Tarrant County golf courses remain open to the public amid the coronavirus pandemic.
And golfers are taking advantage, flocking to courses throughout the area.
The City of Fort Worth and Tarrant County issued “stay-at-home” mandates on Tuesday, and closed any non-essential business. Non-essential businesses include gyms and training facilities.
Golf courses are not an “essential business,” but Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price stated this week that individuals may engage in outdoor activities, including golf. For now, that’s why the three city-owned golf courses are open and operating, as well as a number of other public and private courses.
“It’s good they’re staying open,” Pomeroy said. “I’m very thankful Tarrant County is allowing us to play golf.”
Pomeroy was among a number of golfers at Rockwood who took advantage of good weather and Tarrant County continuing to allow outdoor activities such as golf. The same held true for a number of courses in the area.
Riverside Golf Club in Grand Prairie said it was pretty booked up the entire day. So was Sky Creek Ranch in Keller.
An employee at Sky Creek Ranch said they expected 285 players to play on Thursday, and they already had more than 200 bookings for Friday and Saturday. The course gets around 200-225 golfers on a typical Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
But courses have taken measures as it relates to the pandemic and ensuring golfers are playing in as safely as possible. That also means only having to-go orders from the snackbar, similar to how restaurants are operating these days.
On the course, Rockwood has removed all flagsticks, bunker rakes, water coolers and divot repair sand bottles. They’ve also banned all cart use, with the lone exception being for those guests with an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accommodation.
The course is also employing more marshals to ensure guests are staying at least six feet away from one another at all times.
“I’m glad we’re able to offer this recreational opportunity as long as we can allow it,” said Dave Lewis, Fort Worth’s assistant director of golf and athletics.
“But golfers must adhere to social distancing rules. If not, we’ll ask them to leave. If it becomes a big problem and issue, we’ll just shut down,” he said. “We’ve talked to people about this not being your normal round. You’re not going to set the course record.”
Most golfers had no issues with the changes or regulations. Instead, they’re just happy to be able to play a round and get out of the house for a few hours.
“It is a little different, but I kind of like the idea to be honest,” said Tony Tubbs, a Fort Worth resident who played Rockwood on Thursday. “It’s a little tougher going into the greens [with no flagsticks], but you shoot toward the middle of the greens so it kind of helps you. But it’s cool.
“No complaints. The golf course is in great shape.”
Asked if aiming for the center of the green instead of a flagstick pinned in a tougher location made it easier to hit the green, Tubbs smiled and said: “I don’t think it’s easier. It’s still hard to hit the green.”
Riverside has instituted similar changes as Rockwood with no flagsticks, no water coolers, no bunker rakes. However, it is allowing carts, although it’s one golfer per cart.
Sky Creek Ranch has the same cart policy as Riverside and has made similar on-course changes. But it is keeping flagsticks in the cup. However, they have been secured so that people are not able to remove them.
At the end of the day, as Lewis said, course records are likely going to be secure. But, hey, maybe a golfer will luck into hitting a hole-in-one without even knowing where the cup is located when they tee off.
“Just don’t high-five your playing partners if you do get a hole-in-one,” Lewis said, laughing.
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 3:39 PM.
