MOSES LAKE — Golfers didn’t seem to be letting the course get the best of them on their first day back, with only smiles and excitement to get their clubs back out. Golf courses around the state reopened under rules and regulations coordinated by Gov. Jay Inslee in partnership with the Washington Golf Alliance and state officials after the state’s long closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mike Eslick, director of golf at Moses Lake Golf Club, said it was awesome having people back out on the course on Tuesday.

“People aren’t back to work yet if they’re non-essential, so it’s been a full day out here,” Eslick said. “And it looks like it’s going to be a pretty full week with the weather cooperating. Its just nice to have these people back out here; they’ve been cooped up for a long time.”

After being closed for more than a month, Eslick said it was great having a full tee sheet again yesterday. Meanwhile, most of the state’s stay-at-home restrictions remain in place.

Bill Porter, director of golf at The Links at Moses Pointe, said the phones were ringing with people wanting tee times almost the second Gov. Jay Inslee announced his decision to reopen courses.

Eslick said the course staffers have worked to ensure they’re meeting all of the guidelines put forth by state officials, including removing any “touch points,” such as the flagstick. A four-inch section of a pool noodle float has been inserted into each hole to keep the golf ball from going all the way to the bottom of the cup, eliminating the need to remove the flagstick.

The response from golfers today was mostly excitement, Eslick said, with some golfers disheartened by some of the regulations in place. One of the main issues was the regulation limiting groups to just twosomes unless all participants are from the same household.

Ultimately, Eslick said the excitement overtook any grief for most golfers, understanding that the courses reopening is a step in the right direction, a step closer to normalcy.

Courses will be re-evaluated by county on a weekly basis to see how they’re complying with regulations and what rules or regulations may not be working best in certain areas, Eslick said.

“Hopefully, the numbers or data, as it comes in, they can look and see that we don’t really have a huge COVID problem in Grant County too much anymore,” Eslick said. “So, hopefully, some of those restrictions get eased up.”

With fantastic weather and golfers returning after a long hiatus, Eslick said he’s just excited for everyone to be back out on the course.

“It’s not golf as we knew, but it’s a step in the right direction,” Eslick said.