BROCKTON – On a warm, sunny Tuesday afternoon in Brockton, golfers were not going to let the coronavirus crisis get in the way of playing nine holes or more, ignoring warnings from the mayor to stay home and taking to golf courses around the city, even though they are closed throughout Massachusetts under a state order deeming them nonessential businesses.

Mayor Robert Sullivan said he's now instructing the Police Department to send officers to get people off the golf courses, including the city-owned D.W. Field Golf Course, which was closed on March 16 when the mayor declared a local state of emergency. Sullivan said golfers are still trespassing onto the D.W. Field Golf Course and playing, parking in an adjacent lot and walking through a closed gate.

Golfers are also walking onto private courses all around Brockton, hitting the fairways at places including Thorny Lea Golf Club and White Pines Golf Course, even though the facilities are closed during this time as non-essential businesses by order of Gov. Charlie Baker. Groups of golfers could be seen playing together on Tuesday afternoon amid pleasant, 60-degree spring weather, when the golf season is usually just getting into full swing. The golfers were getting creative, too, putting twigs into the cups to replace missing flagsticks removed from the greens at the golf courses, in order to mark the holes so they could be seen from afar.

"It's just not appropriate" said Sullivan, during an interview on Tuesday, angered that some city residents are not taking coronavirus health advisories seriously. "We have to be in this together. ... It' nice weather, and people want to be outside. But there has to be a standard of social distancing and following guidelines."

The Brockton mayor said he instructed the city's executive health officer, John McGarry, to speak with Brockton Country Club, Thorny Lea Golf Club and other private facilities, which are supposed to be closed, to make sure people stay off the properties. Sullivan said all nonessential businesses are being asked to comply with state orders and remain closed at this time as the coronavirus continues to spread.

"They are closed," Sullivan said. "We're working hours and hours to try to get the message out. ... D.W. is closed and people are still going there, trespassing and playing. Unfortunately, we're finding people parking in an adjacent lot, not on city property."

Across the country, there is a debate about whether golf can be played safely amid the coronavirus. According to GolfAdvisor.com, 37.1 percent of U.S. golf courses have closed. At least 14 states have closed their golf courses because of COVID-19. New York State allowed golf courses to remain open as long as social distancing rules could be practiced. In New Hampshire, according to the Concord Monitor, golfers started a petition asking their governor to amend the state’s stay-at-home order to allow them to hit the golf course as the season begins. And in Providence, Mayor Jorge Elorza announced on Tuesday that all golf courses in the Rhode Island capital must close starting Wednesday.

Jesse Menachem, executive director and CEO of Mass Golf, which is working on behalf of the Alliance of Massachusetts Golf organization to represent courses around the state, said that he and his organization are supporting Baker's orders and the mayors in Massachusetts who are telling golfers to stay home. However, "there's some disappointment there," for missing out on golf due to the coronavirus crisis right when the weather is getting nice, Menachem said.

At some point, Menachem said golf organizations want to approach the issue of golf access again, to see if it can be done safely. Menachem said there are measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of spreading the virus while playing golf, such as installing two or three inches of piping in the cups so golfers don't have to reach far into the holes to retrieve their balls, and potentially spread germs in the process. Menachem said bunker rakes could be removed, a rule could be established so no one can touch the flag sticks and tee times could be spaced out 12 minutes apart to best promote social distancing.

"We think there are ways golf can be played in a safe and healthy manner," Menachem said. "We do want to approach golf access again based on our research. It's really about timing. We want to make sure we get the appropriate all clear, and we can work together on best practices and guidelines to allow play to continue."