Ypsilanti, Mich. – Washtenaw Golf Club, one of the oldest courses in Michigan, typically only has to worry about the weather in March. Now there is a far more serious issue to contemplate: the new coronavirus.

“This is the one thing we didn’t think of,” said Dave Kendall, a PGA professional and operating partner at Washtenaw, which dates to 1899. “You know, as far as making plans. But we’ll fight through it together.”

Even as the pandemic has shuttered restaurants, bars and beaches, many golf courses around the country have managed to stay open with all sorts of precautions in place to promote social distancing, from sanitizing carts to removing rakes from bunkers. The hope is that golf can provide a safe outlet for the stir crazy, some fresh air and exercise, perhaps even a dose of normalcy.

But like so much else, the industry is in a state of uncertainty.

Consider Poppy Hills on the Monterey Peninsula, once part of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am rotation on the PGA Tour. It announced March 16 it was closing until April 8 after California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a shelter-in-place order for six Bay Area counties. Then, it reopened on Saturday with social distancing guidelines. One day later, it was temporarily closed again.

Others remain open. It’s not hard for golfers to keep their distance on the fairway, but greens and especially tee boxes can become more crowded – and golf is popular among age groups most vulnerable to the virus. Can it really be safe?

“I do think that golf is a relatively easy sport to socially distance while playing,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, whose work focuses on emerging infectious disease and pandemic preparedness. “I do think that social distancing is important, but I also think that some activities can be modified to limit exposure.”

Golfers can leave flagsticks in the holes, untouched. Grounds crews at some courses have installed the cups upside down, so the ball doesn’t fall in the hole.

Pinehurst Resort, including the famous No. 2 course, put a 2-inch diameter piece of PVC in the hole so the ball comes to rest level with the turf – easy to retrieve. The USGA said when cups are adjusted, a temporary measure allows for scores to be posted for handicap purposes even if players don’t actually make the putts.

“Honestly, and I’m biased as you know, but if you think of anything else you could do right now, golf is social distancing day to day,” said Troy Andrew, executive director of the Washington Golf Association. “None of the general public is good enough to hit it within 6 feet of each other.”

Carts can be limited to one player at a time, and players can be allowed to walk the course without one. Clubhouses and golf shops can have restricted access or be closed entirely. Players can prepay for their rounds online.

Wes Stenscher, 34, of Bethesda, Maryland, played early in the morning at Bowie Golf Club with a business partner.

“Kind of most surprisingly is most of the people that were out there were older people, which are at the highest risk right now, and I was surprised to see so many older people out there,” Stenscher said.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, it can cause more severe illness, pneumonia or death.

“We recognize the difficult task governors have in keeping the economy going and keeping citizens safe,” Greg McLaughlin, head of the World Golf Foundation, said. “The clubhouse, restaurant, that’s one operation. The fields of play, which typically represent outdoor, open space, should be treated differently.”

Charlene Richardson of Pasadena, California, played the nine-hole Eaton Canyon course in nearby Altadena. Ball washers were covered in plastic to prevent use and she didn’t pull the flagstick on any hole.

“When I had to reach in the hole to get my ball, I was like, ‘Hmm...,’” Richardson said.

Sean Poggi, who works in commercial real estate, was in a golf cart with Dino Delkic recently, waiting to tee off.

“What brings us out?” he said. “Just trying to do something.”