{"id":2457621,"date":"2020-04-24T01:44:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T07:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-golf-course-eyes-opening-once-covid-19-protocols-are-in-place\/"},"modified":"2020-04-24T01:44:00","modified_gmt":"2020-04-24T07:44:00","slug":"aspen-golf-course-eyes-opening-once-covid-19-protocols-are-in-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/aspen-golf-course-eyes-opening-once-covid-19-protocols-are-in-place\/","title":{"rendered":"Aspen Golf Course eyes opening once COVID-19 protocols are in place"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/golfcourse-atd-042420-1-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/golfcourse-atd-042420-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/golfcourse-atd-042420-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/golfcourse-atd-042420-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/golfcourse-atd-042420-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/golfcourse-atd-042420-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption><strong>Due to the Colorado Stay at Home order, the Aspen Golf Club remains closed on Thursday, April 23, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/><em>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\"><a id=\"N0x1b6b760N0x1beb1e0:\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspengolf.com\/golf-club\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Aspen Golf Course <\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i>is working with Pitkin County officials to have in place COVID-19 safety protocols in order to open, which could be as soon as next week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe county is putting together a template,\u201d Steve Aitken, director of golf at the municipal course, said Thursday. \u201cThat should be early next week.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Aitken said he already has drawn up safety policies and procedures for staff and customers, based on courses that are operating around the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe looked at what\u2019s going on in the nation and the industry,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re surveying other courses and refining.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<div class=\"row at-donation at-donation-mobile p-0\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/at-banner-paypal.jpg)\" class=\"col-xl-8 p-3 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/donate\/?utm_source=article&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_campaign=donation&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=mid-article\">Donate<\/a><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Aitken is working with Jordana Sabello, the county\u2019s planning, prevention and partnerships manager, as well as Sheriff Joe DiSalvo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cJordana is the public side of this and the expert,\u201d DiSalvo said, adding that the county government will oversee the opening and enforcement of the Aspen course protocols, along with three others that are in the county but are private. \u201cBecause of my passion for golf and that I\u2019m on the incident management team, I\u2019ve asked the golf courses to send their plans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">All four of them likely will have close to the policies and procedures that the county\u2019s template will have, since they are modeled after what the <a id=\"N0x1b6b760N0x1beb420:N0x1b6b760N0x1cbeab0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usga.org\/content\/usga\/home-page\/articles\/2020\/03\/covid-19-rules-guidance-statement.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">United States Golf Association<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> is doing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s really good that they are on the same page,\u201d DiSalvo said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Protocols will center around social distancing 6 feet apart, how to handle ball washers and flags, as well as whether carts will be allowed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cGolf is a sport that has social distancing,\u201d Aitken said. \u201cThere\u2019s already etiquette in place that we\u2019ve been practicing for years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Under the \u201cnew normal,\u201d clubhouses and pro shops will be off limits, per the public health order that the <a id=\"N0x1b6b760N0x1beb4e0:N0x1b6b760N0x1cbed80\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/public-health-officials-to-open-construction-bike-repair-shops-and-office-supply-stores-in-aspen-area\/\">Pitkin County Board of Health voted on last week<\/a>, which allowed golf courses, construction sites and office supply stores to reopen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">River Valley Ranch golf course, located in Garfield County, has been open for weeks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Players must pay online, not congregate around the clubhouse or tee boxes, keep the flags in the holes on the greens and not touch other golf balls, among other rules.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Aitken said he\u2019s excited for the season to start, even with restrictions in place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe are getting the golf ready and taking care of the turf,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Aspen Golf has refunded 32 people who purchased early season passes prior to the pandemic hitting the valley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Early-season pass prices will be extended through the year, Aitken said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Details on pass pricing, payment plans and green fees will be forthcoming, he said, adding that the <a id=\"N0x1b6b760N0x1beb540:N0x1b6b760N0x1cbf200\" href=\"https:\/\/www.redmountaingrill.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Red Mountain Grill<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> in the clubhouse is open for take-out and delivery.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In the meantime, county officials remind people to be patient while the protocols are being developed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cEveryone is anxious to play but we are trying to make it a safe opening for all four courses,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:csackariason@aspentimes.com\">csackariason@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-golf-course-eyes-opening-once-covid-19-protocols-are-in-place\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Due to the Colorado Stay at Home order, the Aspen Golf Club remains closed on Thursday, April 23, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times The Aspen Golf Course is working with Pitkin County officials to have in place COVID-19 safety protocols in order to open, which could be as soon as next week. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2457621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-18 00:14:22","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2457621"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457621\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2457621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2457621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2457621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}