(Pennsauken, NJ) – The Camden County Driving Range at Cooper River Park will re-open on Friday, May 22, for the first time since being required to close by an executive order signed by Governor Phil Murphy in April. Yesterday, May 18, Governor Murphy signed a new order allowing certain outdoor activities to resume, including batting cages, horseback riding, and driving ranges.
“The Driving Range is an excellent candidate for early re-opening because social distancing is so easy to maintain while taking advantage of the facility,” said Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. “Our staff has heard from countless residents who have been hoping to return to the range for stress relief, exercise, and even rehabilitation of injuries. We are excited to be able to offer this service to our community once again and ask that all patrons work to help us maintain a safe and friendly environment when visiting the range.”
Operations at the driving range will be slightly altered in order to ensure the safety of all visitors. Some changes include:
- All outdoor seating will be removed;
- Restrictions on clubhouse access;
- Encouraged use of contactless payment methods (example: Apple Pay); and
- Staff will wear gloves and face coverings at all times.
The driving range provides easy-to-maintain social distancing thanks to hitting stalls which are spaced seven feet apart, and the 12-foot deep walking area behind these stalls. Most customers and employees never have to touch shared golf balls thanks to contactless ball dispensers to fill buckets, and ball trays at ground level in each stall.
“The only commonly touched, shared surface in the entire facility will be the buckets themselves,” Cappelli said. “Our staff will be sanitizing these buckets between every use and only placing them back into rotation once they have been appropriately disinfected.”
The driving range will re-open during its normal operating hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. For more information regarding services at the driving range, hours, and prices, visit https://www.camdencounty.com/service/parks/camden-county-driving-range/.