As Palmer Golf Course opens, facemasks in the clubhouse are encouraged but handshakes are not

The Palmer Golf Course opened Saturday with 200 players, 12 playable holes and all kinds of new pandemic-driven protocols in place.

Rakes have been removed from bunkers, and water stations and ball washers on the course are gone.

You can’t touch flagsticks and you can’t reach into the cup to retrieve your ball, because your ball won’t go into the cup. Foam inserts have been placed in every hole, and when the ball touches the foam, it has been holed. So don’t worry about lipouts.

Power carts aren’t allowed for now, but when they are, they will be limited to one person per cart unless everyone belongs to the same household.

Those rules are among many on a lengthy list of protocols in place as the season begins amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 200 golfers showed up on opening day, director of golf George Collum said Saturday. The course is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and early season greens fees are $20.

Groups are asked to assign one person to keep score so multiple people aren’t using the same scorecard and pencil, no more than 10 people can be in the clubhouse at once, and it’s requested that greens fees be paid with a credit card on the phone when possible.

Facemasks are encouraged in the clubhouse; handshakes are discouraged everywhere.

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