New opportunities for outdoor recreation are on the immediate horizon, as the Vancouver Park Board announced Monday their plans to re-open two city-operated golf courses as well as the city-run VanDusen Botanical Garden to the public on Friday, May 1.
All three sites will have new physical distancing protocols in place for both staff and visitors to ensure safe use.
The venues were closed in March as the City of Vancouver sought to immediately curtail opportunities for groups to gather and to curb the transmission of COVID-19.
Re-opening the venues means, however, that the user experience will be quite different than usual. New measures in place will affect amenities, hours, and physical conduct while on-site.
At VanDusen Botanical Garden, the following measures will be put in place:
- Online ticket sales only, to limit contact on site.
- Visitors and Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association (VBGA) members will be required to book an entry time slot in advance.
- Modified hours of operation: Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. on weekends. VBGA members will have morning access from 9 – 10 a.m., Monday – Friday.
- A maximum of 30 visitors will be permitted in each time slot (every half hour).
- Select facility features will be closed (such as the gift shop and cafe), some pathways will be marked as one-way, and guided tours will not be available.
- Visitors will be required to maintain a two-metre distance from others at all times.
- Enhanced and rigorous cleaning protocols will be implemented at all shared services (washrooms etc.).
- One individual/household will be permitted in the maze at a time; the maze will be staffed to ensure compliance with this restriction.
Both Fraserview and McCleery golf courses will be re-opened on May 1.
Langara Golf Course will remain closed for play, as the clubhouse is currently being used to prepare meals for residents of the Downtown Eastside. Pitch and putts in Stanley, Rupert and Queen Elizabeth parks will also remain closed.
New mandatory golf-specific physical distancing protocols at Fraserview and McCleery include:
- All bookings will be completed online, with payment on site, no walk-ups allowed.
- Golfers will be asked to arrive at the course no more than 20 minutes prior to tee off, and to remain in their vehicles (no congregating) until they are ready to pay and play. They will be directed to leave immediately after completing their play.
- Access to the golf shop will be limited to two guests at a time.
- Food and beverage services will remain closed and contactless pay will be required (debit and credit only, no cash.)
- Golfers will tee off at 18 minute intervals (half as many tee times as normal) which will result in a maximum of 12 golfers teeing off per hour.
- A single rider cart policy has been implemented with all carts being sanitized in a designated area between use. Pull carts will be sanitized for every user. No rental clubs will be available.
- All frequent touch points, such as bunker rakes, garbage can lids, sand bottles, ball washers, and shoe blowers, have been removed from the courses.
- Flag sticks will not be touched. Cup fillers will prevent the ball from going to the bottom of the hole for touchless retrieval.
Measures have also been introduced to keep VanDusen Botanical Garden and golf course maintenance staff safe. Schedules have been adapted and on-site procedures adopted to distance staff. Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) has also been provided and will be in use for maintenance staff.
The Park Board says they will continue to review the feasibility of reopening other facilities and will make adjustments to its operations based on the latest information provided by Vancouver Coastal Health and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
