With warmer weather rapidly approaching, this is about the time of year many golfers take their clubs out of hibernation and head out to their favorite local course.

But we all know that’s not possible this year given the stay-at-home order issued by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. Whitmer’s order applies to all businesses that aren’t considered life-sustaining and that includes golf courses.

But not everyone agrees with Executive Order 20-21 when it comes to golf.

Michigan residents are being urged to get outside and get a little fresh air and exercise – while practicing social distancing, of course – and golfers don’t see why their sport is excluded from that. The way many see it, golf is a perfect way to get some exercise while staying six feet apart on large parcels of land that often exceed 100 acres.

With that in mind, a group calling itself Good Friends Golf – comprised of senior men in West Michigan – has started a campaign to try and get Whitmer to reverse her executive order when it comes to golf.

One of the group’s members sent a letter to Whitmer asking to have the ban lifted and the letter is on the Good Friends Golf website for anyone who wants to copy, sign and send it to Whitmer’s office in Lansing.

The address, phone number and email address to Whitmer’s office is on the Good Friends Golf website.

The letter reads in part:

“As a Michigan golfer, I do not understand requiring golf courses to close to players while you encourage other healthy outdoor activity like walking your dog, hiking, running and cycling. Golf is a healthy outdoor activity. The only difference between me walking my dog in a park and walking with my golf clubs on a golf course is that my golf clubs don’t poop on the grass.

“And while out golfing and walking, I am also out bending, stretching and whole body exercise swinging a golf club, which is much more robust than walking or hiking. Before the ban, I went out to play golf at a local course that was closed but welcoming golfers to play with rules for keeping a safe distance and not touching flag poles or other golfer’s equipment.

“The course had a box for players to make donations for play but no staff. I walked nine holes and the closest I came to another person was ten yards in the parking lot, a much greater safe distance than walkers I saw out who were six feet apart.

“Please change the ban.”

The letter also claims that courses could be irreversibly damaged if not properly maintained by grounds crews.

The Good Friends Golf letter can be found by clicking here but anyone who doesn’t want to copy and send it are urged by the organization to send their own correspondence to the governor.

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