Golf is an “essential recreation activity provided the proper social distancing is followed and that would mean only�one person per cart”

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The Golf Capital of the World is still open.

That's despite Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issuing an executive order�Wednesday closing all nonessential businesses for 30 days beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday to battle the spread of the coronavirus.

The Florida State Golf Association posted that it did receive clarification from the Governor's office that golf was approved, despite it not being clear in the list of examples of essential outdoor activity in the executive order.

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"We have received a communication�from the Governor's Chief of Staff that golf would be considered an essential recreation activity provided the proper social distancing is followed and that would mean only�one person per cart," South Florida PGA Section, which includes courses in Collier and Lee counties,�stated in an emailed release Wednesday.

"It is also our understanding that the current order does not change county and/or city orders that are already in place throughout Florida."

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The executive order limited essential activities, as far as recreational activities, consistent with social distancing guidelines "such as walking, biking, hiking, fishing, hunting, running, or swimming."

Sumter County, where The Villages, a huge retirement community with dozens of golf courses,�issued a stay-at-home order Tuesday, but listed golf as permissible. A county administrator responded to an email by The Associated Press following DeSantis' order, saying it�“is not an exhaustive list of what is allowed but provides examples of those activities that would be consistent with social distancing as part of essential recreational activities. Golfing provides the same opportunity within the Governor’s executive order for social distancing, particularly in the manner in which the golf courses are managing the process (such as one golfer per rented cart)."

The North Florida PGA Section also obtained clarification from the Governor’s office, according to The Times-Union in Jacksonville. The paper reported courses have to offer walking or only one golfer per cart with no exceptions, eliminate food and beverage service, conduct business with credit cards instead of cash when possible, and to not touch pins or the inside of cups on the green.

“Please continue your part and operate your facilities with exemplary practices and monitory your golfers to ensure they are using proper social distancing regardless of where they are on the property,” said the North Florida PGA Section, in a directive to member clubs, obtained by the Times-Union.

Many Southwest Florida courses that remained open had been following those guidelines, including one golfer per cart if possible. But the clarification from the governor's office takes that a step further.

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Golf courses in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties in South Florida had�been closed by their local governments as part of their stay-at-home orders.

After the closing of Palm Beach County courses last week, several Martin County courses saw a surge in business as golfers drove to the north.��That caused several clubs to continue making restrictions. At Palm Cove Golf Club in Palm City on Wednesday, for instance, play was limited to golfers who live in Martin, St. Lucie or Indian River counties.

According to the South Florida PGA Section website, eight Collier courses had closed previously —� Cypress Woods,�Copperleaf,�Glen Eagle,�Heritage Bay,�Hideout,�Hole-in-the-Wall,�LaPlaya,�and TwinEagles. The Classics Country Club at Lely Resort originally had been on the list but was removed.

There were 10 in Lee County — Coral Oaks in Cape Coral, Colonial, Heritage Palms, Lexington, Olde Hickory, Shadow Wood, Spring Run, Renaissance, and Shell Point in Fort Myers, and Sanctuary Club on Sanibel Island.�Eastwood Golf Course in Fort Myers had closed last Thursday to allow for more golf carts to be used at�its sister city golf course, Fort Myers Country Club.

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Golf courses employee roughly 50 workers combined in pro shops and for golf course maintenance. Some courses�may have more or less.�That doesn't include�clubhouse restaurants, which already were affected by previous restrictions, and were being limited to takeout orders.

The Florida Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America stated on Twitter that its golf course maintenance workers can remain working, citing a page in the order under "Public Works and Infrastructure" even if golf was not specifically referred to in DeSantis' order.

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Fourteen states have closed their golf courses because of COVID-19. According to GolfAdvisor.com, 37.1 percent of U.S. golf courses have closed.

Governors in California and Arizona have�dealt with golf courses in their respective stay-at-home orders. At first, California did label golf courses as essential but reversed a few days later. Arizona did include golf courses as essential in its executive order, but mayors disagreed.

Many golf course communities in Southwest Florida and elsewhere had been using such social distancing measures such as canceling all tournaments, allowing only one person per cart when possible, and not allowing players to remove pins. Rakes also had been removed from sand traps.

DeSantis' order comes during the high season for golf courses where they make most of their revenue. Seasonal residents are routinely in the area beginning in November, with some arriving in January, and�many going back north by Easter or sometime in May. For example, City of Fort Myers director of golf Rich Lamb, who oversees both Fort Myers Country Club and Eastwood Golf Course, had previously estimated�around 70 percent of a year's revenue comes during those months.

According to a 2015 Florida Golf Economic Impact Study, there were 1,103 courses and�524 golf communities�in the state. According to the study�done in 2013,�direct golf economy was approximately $8.2 billion, behind hotels and motels ($14.2 billion) and agricultural products ($8.3 billion). Florida’s golf industry supported approximately $11�billion of total economic impact, over 132,000 jobs, and $3.6 billion of wage income in 2013.