APRIL 29 UPDATE:

Governor Murphy announced today that New Jersey golf courses will be reopened starting Saturday, May 2! Thank you to all the signers of this petition for your support! PLEASE abide by CDC guidelines and course rules so that we KEEP golf in place. We need to do our part to ensure courses are not closed again!

Please refer to this article from the NJSGA about what we need to do as a community of golfers to ensure our courses STAY open!

Thank you and hit 'em straight!

The office of the Governor’s Counsel has confirmed that golf is not permitted and the business of golf is considered a non-essential, recreational business under Executive Order 107. All courses in the state of New Jersey were directed to close operations on March 22, 2020.

This is a petition to change that ruling and allow golf courses in the state of New Jersey to remain open with proper precautions (recommended list below). Governor Phil Murphy tweeted the following on March 21, 2020: "Life in New Jersey does not have to come to a complete standstill. We want people to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. If you head outside to take a walk or go for a run or go to the grocery store, please continue practicing social distancing." The signers of this petition feel that if residents of the state are allowed out for a walk or run, participating in golf should also be allowed.

The COVID-19 crisis is not one to take lightly and this petition does not condemn the issuance of Executive Order 107. Residents of New Jersey should all play their part in ensuring the disease ceases to spread and we flatten the curve.

With that being said, tens of thousands of New Jersey residents actively golf and do so as a means for exercise and mental health. Golf is a sport played outdoors and has a natural element of social distancing (players are rarely within 6 feet of each other). This petition calls for all golf courses to remain open with the following recommendations for increased safety:

• No golf carts are to be used unless extenuating circumstances require one (handicap). In the event a cart is used, only 1 person is permitted to use for the entirety of the round.
• All transactions done by credit card (no cash exchanges)
• No players will touch or remove flagsticks from any hole
• Remove all bunker rakes from course
• Tee times spaced out so that there is a minimum of 15 minutes between groups
• Players will not physically touch with one another as is customary to the sport (pre and post round handshakes)

As Governor Phil Murphy said "Life in New Jersey does not have to come to a complete standstill. We want people to stay healthy, both physically and mentally." The signers of this petition believe that the indefinite closure of all New Jersey golf courses will have a profoundly negative impact on the community's health, both physically and mentally. We also feel that this is a measure that will make our lives feel as if it has come to a complete standstill.

We ask the Governor to reconsider his position on the closure of golf courses in New Jersey and allow them to remain open with extensive and proper precautions. We are hopeful for his consideration.