Update 3/27/2020, 8 a.m.
**Philadelphia Inquirer update on golf course situation**
Update 3/22/2020, 12 p.m.
Joshua Arsenault, District Director for Pennsylvania Senator Maria Collett, has issued a statement indicating the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) has now confirmed that landscaping is included under “Essential Services” as referenced in Governor Wolf’s Closure Order, and, therefore golf course superintendents in Pennsylvania may continue to maintain the grounds at this time.
Arsenault also noted in a subsequent statement that this situation is evolving rapidly and this confirmation from DCED may be subject to change in the future.
We emphasize that the confirmation from DCED applies to Pennsylvania golf courses only. GAP will continue to monitor developments in New Jersey and Delaware.
Should you have any questions, please post them below and we will attempt to respond to you as soon as possible.
Updated 3/21/2020
Dear Pennsylvania GAP Member Clubs:
Following the issuance of Pennsylvania Governor Wolf’s Order regarding – Closure of Non-Life Sustaining Businesses, GAP, together with our partners in the Pennsylvania golf industry requested clarification from Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, specifically regarding the continued operation of golf courses.
**Commonwealth of Pennsylvania official statement**
While we have yet to receive formal clarification – we have been advised informally by Attorney General Shapiro that golf courses are subject to the Governor’s closure order.
GAP still has many questions regarding the specific effects of the Governor’s closure order such as the ability to access and maintain the golf course itself. We expect that our Member Clubs have similar questions and many more as well. We will continue to seek guidance on these questions and plan to report any updates to you.
Please note we have created a section below that will allow Member Clubs to post their questions. We will attempt to find the answer to all questions, to the best of our ability. If there is a common theme, we will post a FAQ’s on that page.
GAP recognizes that impacts of the Coronavirus are changing rapidly and are likely to continue to change in the days, weeks and months ahead. This is an emotionally draining time for many people, changing day-to-day life in unprecedented ways. The CDC and other world health organizations have indicated that Coronavirus is continuing to spread and that the situation will get worse before it gets better.
Most importantly, GAP urges everyone to take appropriate precautions and to protect themselves at all times.
We wish everyone well and look forward to resuming golf activities in the future.
Sincerely,
Mark Peterson, Executive Director
