GRCC's Response to COVID-19

Glen Ridge Country Club is following the direction of the New Jersey goverment and the guidelines setforth by the CDC as we navigate these unprecidented times. Information regarding the current status of club operations can be found below.

Golf

Update - June 1, 2020

The Board is pleased to report that, starting on Monday, June 8, 2020, Members will be welcome to invite up to three guests to play golf on Mondays and Tuesdays. The procedure for signing up with guest(s) on ForeTees will be as follows:

  • At 8 am on Tuesday, you can sign up with guests for play on the following Monday; and
  • At 8 am on Wednesday, you can sign up with guests for play on the following Tuesday.

Members and their guests will be required to take carts, with single riders.

Update - May 18, 2020

As of 8:00am on Friday, golf “twosomes” will become “foursomes,” while still maintaining 16-minutes between tee times. Any Members who have an existing tee time on Friday can get two other Members to join them by including their names on ForeTees by noon on Wednesday. If there are still any open slots available after noon, any Member can go on ForeTees at that time and join a group with less than four players. The Club also anticipates opening the driving range and short game areas as of Friday, with appropriate social distancing, which will limit the number of Members who can use those areas at any one time. All other rules from Phase I remain in effect. The Club will provide additional details tomorrow about play and tee times for the Memorial Day weekend.

Update - May 15, 2020

The Halfway House is now open for call-ahead, grab-and-go service. 

Food and beverage service will be available Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11:00am to 5:00pm, weather dependent.

Members are asked to call (862) 213-5815 from the 8th Tee Box to place their order. Staff will be gloved and masked and will leave the order on a table in a bag labeled with the Member's name. 

Update - May 8, 2020

Driving carts are now available for single riders only. If family members are playing together, they can share a cart. Please note that for the club to adhere to the social distancing requirements, only the single rider's bag may be on the cart. Prior to, and upon your return from the golf course, a member of the Golf Staff will sanitize the driving carts in accordance with the CDC guidelines. The Golf Staff is on property to sanitize and stage carts at the First Tee. They have strict instructions not to handle golf bags nor clean your golf clubs. As a reminder, golf carts are not allowed in the parking lot at anytime.

Phase 1 Golf Course Reopening - May 2, 2020

Per Governor Murphy's Executive Order No. 133, residents are permitted to play golf as of Saturday, May 2, 2020.

The Board of Trustees has approved a Phase I re-opening of the golf course for Members in accordance with this Executive Order, as of Saturday, May 2, but with many significant adjustments to the normal policies and procedures. The Club must implement the measures in the Executive Order and CDC guidelines to ensure the health and safety of all Members and their families. Social distancing, eliminating high touch spots, and the cleanliness of the course and campus remain the Club’s top priorities.

Starting immediately, the online tee time system known as ForeTees is open. 

Now more than ever, it is vital that Members adhere strictly to these policies and the Executive Order handed down from Governor Murphy. It is every Member’s responsibility to abide by the following policies and guidelines:
  • The tee box for Hole #1 will be located near the Red Tees for all players.
  • Maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet at all times anywhere on the property.
  • There are no Golf Staff members available to assist you while on property this weekend.
  • Tee times will be staggered 16 minutes apart. Members will self-govern the 16-minute tee time intervals through ForeTees. Given the severe limitations placed on golf by Governor Murphy, coupled with the great weekend weather forecast, we kindly ask individuals to limit making a tee time for only one day this weekend. We would like to give as many Members as possible the opportunity to utilize our golf course for the first weekend we are re-opened.
  • Each tee time will be limited to two Members, except for immediate family, caretakers, household members, or romantic partners.
  • Members should wear cloth face coverings in all settings on the golf course where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, except where doing so would inhibit that individual’s health.
  • The Superintendent has taken every precaution to keep the maintenance staff and golfers safe by following the Executive Order and all CDC guidelines.
  • You are prohibited from entering the Clubhouse, Golf Shop or Bag Room. The Locker Rooms will remain closed, but the restrooms at the Halfway House will be open and cleaned/sanitized regularly in accordance with CDC guidelines. Please contact Rory Doherty if you still need to access your locker to remove your personal property.
  • The Driving Range is closed.
  • The Short Game area is open, but Members must use and clear their own golf balls, provided that they maintain social distancing.
  • Members waiting to play should not congregate in the parking lot, practice putting green or tee areas.
  • Individuals may carry their bag or use a push cart until further notice. The Bag Room will remain closed, and bags cannot be stored there. Please contact Rory if you still need to retrieve your golf bag.
  • Players cannot use a caddie during Phase I.
  • Guest play is not allowed during Phase I.
  • Golf carts will not be available during this weekend of Phase I. We anticipate having carts available no later than next Saturday, May 9. The Executive Order requires that the Club have staff to handle sanitizing/cleaning the carts; but, with the furloughs and suspension of operations, the carts have not been serviced and the Club will not have the staff to do so for this weekend on such short notice.
  • The golf course is open Tuesday through Friday starting at 8:00am and from 7:00am on weekends. At this time, the Club is allowing play on Mondays, starting at 10:00am. The course will close at dusk each day.
  • To avoid larger groups from gathering, all organized golf groups, including the 18 and 9 Holers, will have an anticipated start date in June, subject to government regulations. The Draw will not be used for the foreseeable future.
  • Observe directives for social distancing while on the golf course:
    • Ball washers, bunker rakes, benches, water coolers, used tee baskets and other commonly handled items on the golf course have been removed.
    • Players may lift, clean and smooth sand with their foot, and replace their ball in all bunkers.
    • Players are encouraged not to touch another player’s golf ball, tee or equipment, and you should not share pencils.
  • Leaving the flagstick in the hole is mandatory; do not touch the flagstick.
  • Foam inserts (two-inch portions of a pool noodle) were installed so players can take their golf ball out of the hole with less chance of touching the flagstick.
  • Local Rule: if ball pops back out due to the insert, the ball is deemed holed.
  • Those who fail to abide by these guidelines will be asked to leave the campus.
  • Simply put, if you do not feel well, please stay home for your own safety and the safety of others!

 

Tennis

Tennis Parameters of Play

Overview
All members and staff are expected to strictly adhere to the below guidelines when using Glen Ridge Country Club tennis courts. Furthermore, court activity should be in accordance with local, state, and federal mandates, with members practicing social distancing measures (maintaining a distance of 6 feet apart) and avoiding social interaction and gatherings whenever possible.

General Guidelines, Reservations, & Court Usage
  • Only single play is permitted. 
  • No guests will be allowed.
  • Recreational play will be allowed from 8:00am to 8:00pm.
  • No walk-ins will be permitted under any circumstances.
  • All Reservations must be done online through the GRCC website by clicking the Tennis Court Reservation tab.
  • These reservation times will be staggered, and the duration of play limited to a 60 minute period per day, per Member.
  • Individual members are permitted to play only once per day.
  • Upon completion of play, please exit using the same way you entered and refrain from touching any surfaces.
  • The Club will provide hand sanitizing stations throughout the tennis pavilion, with recommended use by Members upon entering and exiting the courts.
  • The Ball Machine and Tennis Shed will be off limits
Tennis Balls
  • Bring your own tennis balls and take those same tennis balls home with you upon completion of play. If you need to purchase cans of tennis balls, there will be a case by the snack bar that can be purchased by emailing minnes@glenridgec.com upon taking them.
  • For singles play, each player shall provide their own set of tennis balls exclusively for their personal use and serving. These balls should either be a different brand from their opponents, or clearly marked with a unique identifier, to ensure that balls are not shared between players. Throughout the course of play, tennis balls should only be touched by the person who owns them.
  • If a ball errantly travels onto your court, it should be returned using your racquet or with a kick.
Lessons
  • Only private lessons and semi-private lessons (2 people) are currently permitted. All lessons need to be scheduled in advance by emailing minnes@glenridgecc.com. During lessons only the pro will be allowed to collect the balls or touch the ball hoppers.
Social Interaction and Court Movement
  • Players should maintain social distancing whenever possible and must refrain from any extracurricular or social activity, including shaking hands and high fives.
  • Additionally, singles players are not permitted to change on the same ends of the court during play and should refrain from touching the net, fence or posts whenever possible.
  • Upon completion of play, Members are asked to return to their cars immediately and refrain from congregating on Club premises.
Minors
  • All children 12 years of age and younger must always be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian while playing tennis. If the parent or legal guardian is not participating in play, they must remain in their car for the duration of their children’s play.
Facilities, Amenities and Services
  • Restroom facilities will not be available.
  • The Tennis Shop will be closed, however, the following services will still be available:
  • Tennis balls will be available for purchase.
    • Racquets can be restrung/regripped by following these steps:
    • Email the Tennis Staff at minnes@glenridgecc.com to arrange a time for racquets to be dropped off outside the shop.
    • Racquets will be sanitized and handled with gloves at all times.
    • Time/date for pickup will also be arranged directly by the Tennis Shop staff.
  • No demo racquets will be available.
  • Members will be permitted to bring their own water, sports drinks, and towels as needed. We ask that Members please take all personal belongings with them upon leaving the courts. Any iitems left behind (towels, water bottles, etc) cannot be stored at the Club and will be discarded.
  • There will be no seating or spectator viewing permitted on the tennis pavilion.
  • Court valet on net post will also be removed from all courts.
  • No water will be provided.
  • No towels will be provided.
Health & Wellness
To ensure the health and safety of all involved, the Club recommends that individuals who are most
susceptible (senior Members, have underlying health conditions, or are immunosuppressed) refrain
from utilizing the tennis courts. Members who are exhibiting or experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms (respiratory illness, fever, cough, or difficulty breathing), have been exposed to
someone with COVID-19, or traveled to a high-risk area in the past 14 days, must refrain from using the
tennis courts or visiting Club premises at any time.