Gov. Phil Murphy allowed golf courses and parks to reopen Saturday, with some minor adjustments for safety, and golfers flocked back to the tees and greens in droves. Clubs throughout the region were packed to their newly reduced capacities, honoring pandemic safeguards while accommodating players. At the 127-year-old Merchantville Country Club reservations had sold out in about an hour, according to Bill Goodrich, president of the board. The fact that the club used scheduled tee times at all was an adjustment. At only nine holes, the course is played quickly, and members usually rely on WhatsApp to coordinate when to arrive and whom to play with, he said. “We’ve been given this great opportunity, allowing us to reopen,” Goodrich said. “Whatever guidelines we need to follow, we’ll follow. Our goal is to get back to full operation, but in a safe way.”
