“We’re treating this as a fluid situation, taking it one day at a time,” Laudner said. “We’re going to do what the appropriate agencies feel is necessary so we’ll fall in line with that, and when they give us the green light to pull some of these procedures back, we’ll go ahead and do that.”

While most non-essential businesses have been ordered closed by Gov. Kim Reynolds’ State Public Health Emergency Declaration, outdoor recreation is still allowed as long as gatherings are limited to less than 10 people at a time.

With that restriction in mind, Rice Lake released its COVID-19 policy that helps limit golfers interaction with golf course staff and other golfers.

In its policy, Rice Lake states that its clubhouse and restaurant are closed until further notice. Golfers are told to book tee times online in advance and, upon arrival, proceed to the first tee at their designated time, eliminating the need to check-in in person.

To further prevent exposure, certain club-provided amenities, such as range balls, flag sticks, bunker rakes, etc., will not be available until it is deemed appropriate.

“Being outside and social distancing is on the forefront of everybody’s mind right now, but we feel like being outside in nature is a great way to get rid of that cabin fever, but also be safe,” he said.

With Minnesota golf courses being closed under Gov. Tim Walz’s current stay-at-home order, Laudner said he has received many calls from Minnesotans looking to tee off.

One such person was Rick Mattson, of St. Paul, who traveled two hours to golf at Rice Lake on Friday.

“Iowa is not that far away from me and I was looking at some courses in northern Iowa and a lot of them weren’t open,” Mattson said. “They answered the phone here, so I said ‘I’ll be right down tomorrow.'”

Many golfers could be seen walking the greens on Friday, including Lake Mills golf coach Lyle Thomson. As he and Louie Toulouse, of Emmons, Minnesota, were finishing their round, members of the Lake Mills golf team arrived to practice on their own.

Under Iowa High School Athletic Association policy, high school athletes and coaches are prohibited from practicing or having in-person contact for the duration of Gov. Reynolds emergency declaration.

“We get to this point every year and everybody’s kind of like a kid in a candy store, we’re anxious to get going,” he said. “This is obviously a totally different animal than last year, so we’re trying to be smart and doing what is recommended of us, but still providing folks some entertainment.”