Offices
Everyone must wear face coverings as they enter and are inside any POA facility
Current Practices
These practices and guidelines follow the ADH and Governor’s COVID-19 safety measures. Provided below is an overview of all the requirements.
Restaurants
- No change from current requirements: masks worn until served
- Guests younger than 10 years are not required to wear masks
Pro Shops
All Employees, Members, and Guests must wear face coverings on the shop floor
Golf Courses/Cart Barns
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- All Employees, Members and Guests must keep face coverings in their immediate possession for use when they are unable to maintain at least a 6-foot physical distance from others
- Employees do not need to wear a face covering while working outdoors, provided they are able to maintain a distance of at least 6-feet away from others
- Employees must wear face coverings when more than one person is in a vehicle (this includes cars, trucks, utility vehicles, carts)
MAC/Golf Course Maintenance
- Employees do not need to wear a face covering while working outdoors, provided they are able to maintain a distance of at least 6-feet away from others
- Employees must wear face coverings when more than one person is in a vehicle (this includes cars, trucks, utility vehicles, carts)
Indoor Recreation
(fitness, tennis pro shop, gun range pro shop)
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- All Employees, Members, and Guests must wear face coverings to enter these facilities
- Members and Guests can remove their face covering while actively exercising
- Guests younger than 10 years are not required to wear masks
Outdoor Recreation
(pools, beach, tennis courts, pistol/rifle range)
- Employees, Members and Guests must wear face covering when checking in, when in the restrooms/changing areas, at concessions area and when exiting
- Counter Employees must wear face covering at all times
- Members/Guests must keep face coverings in their immediate possession for use when they are unable to maintain at least a 6-foot physical distance from others
- Guests younger than 10 years are not required to wear masks
- Employees do not have to wear face covering while on the lifeguard stand
Amenity Updates
- The Member Services, Water Department, Maintenance & Construction offices will be closed to public access but the staff will be answering calls and emails. Many items can be handled online or by calling:
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- Member Services 479-855-8000 option 2
- Water Department 479-855-8000 option 1
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- BV Bar & Grill (479-855-5117) and Lakepoint Restaurant (479-855-8110) dining rooms are open. Curb side continues. All banquets and events are available following COVID requirements.
- Highlands Pub is open.
- Golf remains the same but has a limit of people in the Pro Shop at one time.
- A Message from Director of Golf Operations
- Changes to Golf Operations
- Tanyard Creek Driving Range is on the mats with social distancing due to COVID-19.
- Pro Shops that sell alcohol will only have canned beer for sale.
- The Metfield Fitness facility will open on September 9 with the same restrictions and guidelines as Branchwood and Riordan.
- Fitness Centers
- Tennis & Pickleball Are Open With New Safety Guidelines
- Blowing Springs Update
- Gun Range Update & Classes
- Most park restrooms are open.
- All playgrounds are open with caution to use at your own risk. Sanitizing will be intermittent.
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The Dog Park has reopened. Please do not walk your dogs on the golf courses/paths. We are very concerned with safety since our courses are very busy right now.
- All event and committee (JAC) meetings and Board Work Sessions are in-person with restrictions.
We continue to monitor the actions and requests of the State of Arkansas and will keep you updated as we learn new information that impacts the POA.
Open for Dine-In with Restrictions
Curb Side Service Available
Important Links
A Message from Director of Golf Operations, Darryl Muldoon, PGA
Golf Update
At this time Golf courses will not be closing.
Group Leaders
I’m asking group leaders to help manage their players outside and those wanting to come into the pro shops.
- Group leaders need to pick up all annual players tags for the day of play.
- No more than 4 people in the pro shops at a time.
- Please no congregating in social areas before and after play, if at all possible.
- All fresh food items as well as all poured beverages will cease until further notice.
- Please leave flag sticks in the hole, fewer hands that touch the flag the better.
- All ball washers will be removed from the golf course until further notice.
- Please help us by discarding your trash at the bathrooms or when you return your cart to the cart shed, fewer hands that touch trash the better.
- All bunker rakes will be removed until further notice.
- The maintenance staff will rake bunkers once a day.
- Local rule is in effect, place your ball in the bunker in an undisturbed area not near the hole.
- Please use your feet to level the bunker as best as you can.
Golf Operations is disinfecting all public areas, to ensure that golf courses can stay open unless we are told otherwise.
We are asking you to please communicate this with all your players in your groups. These guidelines remain in place until further notice.
Groups and Individuals
This is for our groups and individuals, it does not pertain to tournaments.
I want to thank you for helping us with the current situation, it appears to be working well. A few more things and I’m sure I will be reaching out to you with more later.
- Effective immediately, we are suspending the cart tag policy.
- Please make sure the rosters that you submit are updated.
- Let the Pro shop know all no shows and all AGGF.
- Please be aware that we can’t always allow single riders as we will run out of carts on busy days.
- It will be on a day-to-day basis and we will go according to the tee sheet.
- Just because you see carts that have not been used at 10:08 when you check in doesn’t mean you can get a cart to yourself. We have more players behind your tee time that we must accommodate.
These guidelines are in place until further notice.
Branchwood, Riordan & Metfield Fitness Center Open
With the Governor’s directive on reopening fitness centers, we are working hard to serve our members in a safe manner with the restrictions listed below. We encourage each member to consider what is best for them and to stay home if they are not well.
Branchwood Fitness Center & Pool Hours:
Branchwood (479) 855-8181
Monday – Friday: 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Riordan Fitness Center Hours:
Riordan (479) 855-8170
Monday – Thursday: 6 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday: 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Metfield Fitness Center Hours: (starting September 9)
Metfield (479) 855-8165 (due to the facility size, only 8 Members per hour allowed)
Monday – Thursday: 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Please plan for the following restrictions:
- Members must bring and wear a mask at all times except while actively exercising
- A screening will be conducted on all Members before access is allowed
Those who have any of the following characteristics will NOT be allowed to enter:
- Have returned from travel to any hotspots or overseas within the last 14 days;
- Have had a fever of 100.4°F or greater in the last 2 days;
- Have a cough, difficulty breathing, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell;
- Had contact with a person known to be infected with COVID-19 within the previous 14 days;
- Have compromised immune systems and/or have chronic diseases.
- Staff will wear masks and gloves and ask Members to scan their own cards
- Strict social distancing practices will be in place including 12-foot distancing while working out
- A reservation system will be used. You may call up to 7 days in advance to reserve your 1-hour time slot to work out or to swim. Call to reserve your time slot at Riordan at (479) 855-8170, Branchwood at (479) 855-8181 or Metfield at (479) 855-8165
- Lobby areas will be limited to check-in purposes only – do not congregate in the lobby
- Limited exercise equipment will be available based on social distancing guidelines
- No groups, clubs or meetings (cards, dance, etc.)
- Billiards/Snooker will not be available
- No spas/hot tubs, or sauna
- Additional staff will be routinely disinfecting all areas and enforcing social distancing
- Previously streamed fitness classes are available on the POA YouTube page
- Limited in-person classes at this time
- Branchwood Indoor Racquet/Pickleball courts are closed at this time
Swimming at Branchwood Pool
- During lap swim only 3 lap lanes are available per hour and each Member must remain in their own lane
- Reservations are required.
- No equipment will be provided, you must bring your own; such as water weights, noodles etc.
- Lap swimming is available to Members 14 years and over. Youth ages 14-15 must have a parent in the facility.
Branchwood Pool Schedule:
Monday – Thursday:
- 6 – 9 a.m. Lap Swimming
- 9 -10 a.m. Water Walking
- Noon – 6 p.m. Adult Swim
Friday:
- 6- 9 a.m. Lap Swimming
- 9 -10 a.m: Water Walking
- 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Adult Swim
- 3- 6 p.m. Open Swim
Saturday:
- 7- 9 a.m. Lap Swimming
- 9 -10 a.m: Water Walking
- 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Open Swim
Sunday: Closed
Tennis & Pickleball Are Open With New Safety Guidelines
NEW Kingsdale Tennis Pro Shop Hours:
Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. & 4 – 8 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday: Closed (courts available for drop in play – no restrooms)
Call (479) 855-8174 for reservations.
- Pickleball Courts at Metfield and Branchwood Parks are also open
- 2 cans of balls or separate balls per team will be required on each court
- Limited to casual court use, private lessons, and small groups of less than 10
- No congregating before and after matches
Blowing Springs Park Update
The campground is open for business for self-contained RVs and primitive tent camping. The rear of the park can be rented for events serving 50 people or less with proper social distancing. The rear of the park remains closed to vehicle traffic (except for primitive campers) but can be accessed on foot or bicycle. Please park in the front of the park at the Trailhead parking lot.
Note: Construction continues in the back of the park on weekdays on the new Metfield Greenway Connector.
Gun Range & Classes
CONCEALED CARRY CLASSES
Classes are back in session. Contact moc.a1604171278opvvb1604171278@unho1604171278j1604171278
RIFLE & PISTOL RANGE
- Operations at the Rifle and Pistol Range will remain unchanged.
- Non-shooters may not enter the range.
- No more than 10 total shooters may be present on each range at any given time.
- Stations are limited to 2 people.
- A strict 2 hour time limit will be enforced per shooter.
TRAP & SKEET
- The Trap and Skeet Range is open. To help protect staff and customers, additional Covid-19 protocols will be followed.
- Customers will only be allowed inside the Range Master building to use the restroom facility and purchase items.
- We ask that all non-shooters stay in their vehicles unless they are coaching.