Indian Canyons Golf Resort in Palm Springs To Reopen This Weekend

PALM SPRINGS (CNS) – A golf course on tribal land is set to reopen Saturday morning in Palm Springs, becoming the first course in the city to open back up after closing due to the coronavirus pandemic. The par-72 North Course at the Indian Canyons Golf Resort will reopen with added safety precautions, according to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Golfers must cover their faces, stay 6 feet apart from each other, with a limit of one person per golf cart. Golf holes and the associated flag touching have also been eliminated, and the club house and restaurant will remain closed, according to the tribe. Rounds must be paid for in advance, to avoid human-to-human contact, by calling the pro shop at 760-833-8704. A spokeswoman for the tribe told City News Service the decision to reopen one of the resort’s two courses was made about noon, but no information was released on when the tribe’s other businesses would reopen. The tribe declared a reservation-wide state of emergency on March 17, announcing all of its tribal enterprises — casinos, golf courses and recreation areas — would be shuttered in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The Palm Springs City Council voted on Thursday to begin the process of allowing golf courses to reopen in the city, a change in policy that will take two weeks to implement. The city ordered most public and private courses closed on March 24, about a week before the county’s health officer ordered courses shuttered countywide on April 2. On Monday, Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser and County CEO George Johnson jointly signed an amended health order allowing courses to reopen — with restrictions — in unincorporated areas and cities without local emergency orders covering the subject. As a sovereign tribe, Agua Caliente governs itself.