Seattle Golf Courses Reopen Tuesday

SEATTLE, WA — Governor Inslee's 'Stay Home, Stay Healthy' has been extended, closing most non-essential businesses through May 31, but golf is coming back to Seattle early.

Mayor Jenny Durkan's Office has announced that Tuesday four municipal golf courses will be reopening to the public, albeit with new social distancing rules.

The four courses opening are:

• Jefferson Park Golf Course
• West Seattle Golf Course
• Jackson Golf Course
• Interbay Golf Course

All four courses will have to follow new strict physical distancing guidelines, like minimizing face-to-face interactions, removing 'high touch' surfaces, banning equipment rentals and posting signs asking golfers to keep the minimum six foot distance for safe social distancing.

Any food served at the courses will also have to be take-out only as cafeterias are closed. Mini golf also remains closed.

Seattle Parks and Recreation says they are working on a plan to let runners and bikers use the golf courses during certain hours as well, but that plan has not been finalized.

King County's natural lands, trails may reopen soon

100 parks across Washington are also opening Tuesday. Meanwhile, King County Parks is still working to reopen certain recreational trails and natural areas. Once those are open, the parks department says they'll begin reopening parks and other facilities in phases. It's unclear exactly when these reopenings may begin but King County Parks says they began drafting plans for reopening back on April 28.

King county closed all of its parks, trails and facilities back on March 25. Parking lots and trail-heads remain locked.

What will remain closed?

Gov. Inslee's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" was first issued on March 23 and banned all large gatherings, closed all but essential businesses and ordered residents to stay home whenever possible. On May 1, Inslee extended the order through the end of the month. The next day Mayor Durkan signed a similar order extending the city's shelter-in-place policies to match Inslee's.

Under Durkan's order, the following will remain closed through May 31:

• Seattle Parks and Recreation's community centers, playgrounds, fields, courts and pools
• Public libraries, though they remain open for restroom use only from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• The Rattlesnake Ledge Recreation Area
• Cedar River Watershed Education Center and SPL environmental learning centers
• All in-person customer service counters
• All permitted city events except farmer's markets, which will be re-evaluated weekly.

Four boat launch points, Stan Sayres, Don Armeni, Magnuson, and Atlantic Street, all remain closed while the city determines how best to keep them safe.

Changes to parking enforcement will also remain in effect. The city announced on March 23 that during the outbreak parking restrictions would be relaxed, ending the 72-hour parking rule and booting of vehicles for unpaid parking tickets.