Golf the perfect social distance outing during pandemic

Golfers stay socially distant on the 18th fairway at the Agave Highlands Golf Course in Cornville Thursday. VVN.Vyto Starinskas

Golfers stay socially distant on the 18th fairway at the Agave Highlands Golf Course in Cornville Thursday. VVN.Vyto Starinskas

VERDE VALLEY - Golfers are used to solitude.

Whether it’s to retrieve a ball in the woods or on a long solitary walk down the 18th fairway at sunset.

So when Gov. Doug Ducey’s executive order allowing golf courses to stay open with other outdoor activities during the coronavirus crisis, it was only natural for golfers to socially distance themselves.

Emanuel Radoccia, PGA director of golf at Agave Highlands Golf , said his golf course and practice range are open with “precautions taken."

“Golf offers perhaps the best social distancing of any business,” Radoccia said Friday. “You can potentially have acres to yourself and enjoy fresh air and sunshine. Both are proven immune system builders.”

Currently "our environment is drastically different." he said. "We are using walk-up service windows for golf and food and beverage."

At Agave, golfers can book and prepay on their website or on other online booking options. “If online booking is not an option for you we ask for payment using cards and no cash,” he said.

“We have closed the restaurant other than take-out and delivery to VSF (Verde Santa Fe) homes. They did expand on that a bit and offer a lasagna dinner every Wednesday, fish fry dinner every Friday night both by reservation only, so we can control the crowds.”

Radoccia said the course is renting golf carts, but promoting walking. They will let golfers take a cart solo with a prior request.

Some of the Centers for Disease Control guidelines for golf courses include that carts, range balls, and tokens be sanitized before and after each use, he said. Also, that courses have covered ball washers and courses use cut pool noodles inside golf holes so balls don't go completely down, limiting hands in cups.

Ken Klotthor, the general manager of the Coyote Trails Golf Course in Clarkdale, said they have been busy during the past several weeks.

“We haven’t closed for this whole thing. We’ve done a lot of precautionary cleaning,” he said.

Carts are getting cleaned after every use, Klotthor said. The ball washers have been taken out.

He said they have spaced tee times out to 20 minutes just to keep people from gathering, and no one is pulling the flags.

“It’s worked out pretty well,” Klotthor said. People can pay on-line or pay by reading their credit card to the attendant, but no cash.

If a person pays on-line, “you are good to go,” he said. “We’ve been busy. What else is there do?” Klotther said.

Radoccia at Agave Highlands said most golfers “are extremely grateful to have a place to come and thrilled we decided to stay open. The atmosphere is very soothing and easy going, as long as we all do our part to stay safe.”


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