Glynns Creek Golf Course.
An eastern Iowa golf course is kicking out all golfers from other states during the pandemic.
Golf courses in Illinois are all closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but many Iowa courses remain open. Ed Rivers, head of the Scott County Health Department, says the county conservation board has voted to limit golfing at Glynns Creek Golf Course in Long Grove to Iowa residents only, based on Governor Kim Reynolds’ orders.
“The staff at Glynns Creek reported a significant number of out-of-state golfers were from the Chicago area,” Rivers says. “Golfers from Rock Island County (Illinois) weren’t the only out-of-state patrons golfing at Glynns Creek. We know there’s community-spread in Scott County and many other parts of Iowa. We also know that in some of our neighboring states, community-spread is even higher.”
Rivers says having droves of Illinois golfers flocking to Iowa courses clearly violates the restrictions that were put in place because of coronavirus. “During this point in the pandemic, it’s not in our community’s best interests to be drawing people in from other areas in the Midwest when staying home is the best protection,” Rivers says. “I’ll also note that Illinois has a stay-at-home order and we think it’s incumbent upon Illinois citizens to observe that order and not try to circumvent it by going to another state — to play golf.”
Last month, Iowa’s governor told people to stay home in self-isolation for two weeks if they had traveled outside the state for business or vacation in the previous 14 days. Iowa is among five states that don’t have a shelter-in-place order.
(By Michelle O’Neill, WVIK, Rock Island)