Duncan Golf Management closed the Executive nine-hole golf course at Wildcreek as of Friday and is no longer operating the course in Sparks.

Duncan officials said the closure is due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic that has shut down most of the state and country. They said Washoe County will assume control of the property.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak closed all golf courses in the state on April 9 after he said people were not practicing safe social distancing on them. Golf courses had been allowed to remain open with strict guidelines on social distancing in place before that.

Duncan Golf Management wrote in a news release: "Due to unforeseen circumstances regarding golf courses due to COVID-19 and the impacts from that to the Wildcreek property, Duncan Golf Management will no longer manage Wildcreek as of Friday, April 24. The management of Wildcreek will revert to Washoe County."

Dave Solaro, assistant manager for Washoe County, said the plan is to bring in a new operator and have the nine-hole course re-open later this spring or summer, if the restrictions are lifted or eased.

He said Washoe County will continue to maintain the property so it does not fall into disrepair, until a new operator is found.

Mike Mazzaferri, who operates Sierra Sage Golf Course, said he and several golf course operators sent a request to the Governor to allow golf courses to re-open. Mazzaferri said all the neighboring states are allowing golf courses to be open during the pandemic.

"We basically are putting a lot of pressure on the Governor," Mazzaferri said. "Why can't we get golf open. ... We were doing a good job (of safety) before and we can do even better now."

Golf courses had enacted social distancing plans in Marc and had removed anything golfers could touch on the course, such as rakes and ball washers, even turning cups upside down so balls did not roll in.

Mazzaferri is still mowing the grass at Sierra Sage and doing maintenance and trying to keep as much of the staff working there as possible.

In California, there is a shelter-in-place order that has required the closure of all non-essential businesses. However, there is not a widespread order for courses to close, and that is up to individual jurisdictions, including at the city and county level. Increasingly, more counties are opening up courses to play.

Mazzaferri said many golfers who would normally be at Washoe County courses are going to California instead to play.

The Wildcreek Executive 9-hole golf course will be closed until further notice. The 18-hole course at Wildcreek closed last November.

The nine-hole, par-3 course (1,420 yards) opened in 1980.

The Washoe County School District has begun construction on a new Hug High School on the former 18-hole section of Wildcreek.

Duncan has been running operations at Wildcreek since May 1, 2018 and will continue to operate the golf courses at Lakeridge, Wolf Run, Toiyabe, Eagle Valley and Dayton Valley.

Duncan Golf will be contacting all golfers with Wildcreek memberships next week regarding their memberships.

Wildcreek Golf Course is at 3500 Sullivan Lane in Sparks.

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Jim Krajewski covers high school and youth sports for the Reno Gazette Journal. Follow him on Twitter @RGJPreps. Support his work by subscribing to RGJ.com right here.