Out of an abundance of caution, and to further support Governor John Bel Edwards’ effort to make an impact on reducing the spread of COVID-19 virus in the next two weeks, BREC has decided not to reopen golf courses until further notice.
“While we have taken more than a dozen steps to further encourage social distancing and other CDC recommendations to ensure the safety of our staff and the public while providing a safe outdoor activity for the community to engage in, the most significant step we can take to help reduce the spread of the virus is the complete closure of these facilities at this time,” said BREC Superintendent Corey Wilson. “We will continue to monitor this unprecedented and evolving situation, and follow guidance from our federal, state, and local officials, and will announce the reopening of these facilities at the appropriate time,” Wilson said.
The closure of BREC’s six golf facilities follows previous closures of the Zoo, all indoor facilities including recreation centers and special facilities such as the Highland Road Observatory, all playgrounds, dog parks and outdoor restrooms.
Parks, trails, and conservation areas remain open for the public to engage in safe recreational outdoor activities such as walking, biking and hiking as they are deemed essential in the Governor’s order. BREC leadership strongly encourages the citizens of East Baton Rouge Parish to follow the Stay at Home order and only leave their homes for essential activities.
Our parks remain open as a safe option to engage in these activities so patrons should follow the CDC recommendations of staying 6-feet away from anyone in the park and not gathering in groups of larger than 10.
“We will continue to maintain the courses to ensure they remain in excellent condition,” said BREC Golf Director Mike Raby. “While the courses are closed, we will focus on customer service-oriented improvements to implement for our customers when we reopen,” Raby said.
BREC will continue adding to the online “Refresh Your Mind” portal, housing videos which allow residents to experience BREC facilities and activities from the safety of their homes. The portal is housed at www.brec.org/refresh.
Twenty-five BREC parks are also being utilized to provide thousands of meals for at-risk children through a partnership with Three O’clock Project. Routes and schedules for meal deliveries can be found here: www.threeoclockproject/COVID.
Please monitor BREC’s website and social media pages for further updates.