Offices
Everyone must wear face coverings as they enter and are inside any POA facility
July 20, 2020 Update
Starting Monday, July 20th the Governor of Arkansas is requiring all businesses to step up their COVID-19 safety measures. Provided below is an overview of all the new 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) is temporarily closed.
- Lakepoint Restaurant (479-855-8110) dining room is open. Curb side continues. All banquets and large events have been canceled.
- Highlands Pub is open.
- Golf remains the same but has a limit of 10 or less 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 remain closed due to distancing restrictions.
- Branchwood Fitness Center & Riordan Fitness Centers Are Open
- Tennis & Pickleball Are Open With New Safety Guidelines
- Outdoor Pools & The Beach at Lake Avalon Update
- Blowing Springs Update
- Gun Range Update & Classes
- The Marina opens with limited hours and a limit of 10 or less people allowed in the office at one time.
- Most park restrooms will open on June 22.
- All playgrounds are closed effective immediately.
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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) in-person meetings are done via ZOOM; the Board Work Session continues 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 10 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 through August 31, 2020.
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 through August 31, 2020.
Branchwood Fitness Center & Riordan 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. (July 4: 7 a.m. – 11 a.m.)
Sunday: Closed
NOTE: Branchwood Fitness Center will only be open for individual fitness workouts and lap swimming, water walking and adult swim only. (no showers, sauna or hot tub). Due to the Governor’s new fitness center guidelines, we are unable to open Metfield at this time.
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 NY, NJ, CT, New Orleans 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 or Branchwood at (479) 855-8181
- 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 locker rooms, showers, spas//hot tubs, or sauna
- Additional staff will be routinely disinfecting all areas and enforcing social distancing
- Live Stream classes will continue
- No in-person classes at this time
- Branchwood Indoor Racquet/Pickleball courts are closed at this time
Swimming at Branchwood Pool Following the Governor’s directive the pool will be open for individual fitness workouts and lap swimming, water walking and adult swim only:
- During lap swim only 3 lap lanes are available per hour and each Member must remain in their own lane
- No showers or locker rooms are available, you must shower at home and be prepared to change on the deck
- 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. (No open swim or water fitness classes are allowed at this time.)
Branchwood Pool Schedule:
Monday – Friday:
- 6 – 9 a.m. Lap Swimming
- 9 -10 a.m. Water Walking
- 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Adult Swim
Saturday:
- 7- 9 a.m. Lap Swimming
- 9 -10 a.m: Water Walking
- 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Adult 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
Outdoor Pools & The Beach at Lake Avalon Update
In keeping with the Arkansas Dept. of Health’s directive, several restrictions will be in place. Please review the following and plan accordingly.
- Each individual pool at Metfield and Kingsdale Complex will have limited capacity to insure safe social distancing of 6 feet between non-family members.
- All pools will have specific time slots to maximize the number of Members we can serve.
- The time slots will be for 2 ½ hours with 30 minutes in-between to disinfect and clean the facilities
- The time slots will be first-come, first-served:
- 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (Closed for disinfecting and cleaning 1:30 – 2 p.m.)
- 2 – 4:30 p.m. (Closed for disinfecting and cleaning 4:30 – 5 p.m.)
- 5 – 7 p.m.
- You may use the pool(s) for just one time slot per day
- Physical distancing of 6 feet will be enforced between people in all pool areas including in the water. Family members may sit and enter the pool together. Chairs between groups will be appropriately spaced and not all Members may have a chair.
Anyone with the following characteristics will not be able to enter:
- 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 in the previous 14 days
It is recommended that people may wish to refrain from entering if:
- They are 65 years of age or older.
- They have underlying health conditions including high blood pressure, chronic lung disease,diabetes, severe obesity, asthma or weakened immunity.
The Beach at Lake Avalon will enforce the same social distancing guidelines as the pools.
We will manage both the sandy area and the water for the directives listed above.
We ask that Members be respectful of other Members and stay for a maximum of 3 hours.
Blowing Springs Park Update
The campground is open for business for self-contained RVs only. We hope to offer primitive tent camping again in July. 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 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. The bathrooms at the rear of the park remain closed.
Gun Range & Classes
CONCEALED CARRY CLASSES
All Pistol Classes will be canceled until further notice.
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.