While stuck at home, many activities have been closed, such as public sports. After an executive order issued by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz this past Friday, some outdoor activities are now being allowed, including golf, hiking, biking, and boating.

While they may be allowed to visit these golf courses and play, the golfers must still maintain social distancing guidelines such as staying a minimum of 6 feet away from people.

This was good news for golfers because they can finally get back onto the course after a long and dreadful winter filled with snow, rain, and cold weather. Sophomore golf player Sonia Ross said, “I think that golfing is an easy sport to stay socially distancing as it is a single-player game with limited interaction.” These golfers can enjoy playing with family for the time being as competitions are still being postponed.

Many golf courses are also taking extra precautions to ensure safety for the people golfing. Some are increasingly limiting the number of people allowed on a course at once, and also restricting the number of employees to have less interaction.

This change is still not enough to convince some parents that this is an acceptable activity with minimal risk. Ross said, “My parents still do not want me to go out in public, and that golfing is a risk.” Although the government deemed it safe, not everyone thinks it is time to leave their houses and head to the golf course as they continue at-home activities. Because Ross cannot go to the courses, she said, “My golf coach has been sending us activities to do at home and other activities such as kickboxing and yoga”. The SPA coaches are encouraging students to continue to stay active at home in any way they can.

Many other activities are starting to open as well, such as boating. These are simple activities to say socially distant, as many are personal or family activities. Boating requires minimal interaction with other people, so it can be an easy sport to stay socially distant. In Walz’s order, he also allowed biking and hiking, which are also easy things to do while social distancing.