For many people, social distancing has been a barrier to having a good time. But at Caddy Shack on State Road, staff are ensuring that customers can stay safe while practicing their golf and baseball swings.

Caddy Shack reopened in May, and since then, Manager Eric Medeiros said staff have been taking the proper precautions to keep patrons safe.

“We’ve been doing a lot of cleaning here to make sure everyone stays safe,” he said. “Right now, we’re pretty much fully operational.”

Some of the new precautions include the addition of hand sanitizer stations, mask requirements when social distancing is not possible, and an extended cleaning routine for the golf and batting equipment after each use.

Signage requesting customers to maintain their social distance can also be seen around the course. 

Since Caddy Shack offers outdoor activities, Mediros said customers can feel safe while still being able to enjoy themselves, but if anyone does feel sick, they should definitely stay home.

“Hopefully we’ll get back to normal,” he said. “In the meantime, I think this is something we’ll just have to live with.”

Medeiros added that it’s tough being a seasonal business. He added that the shutdown was especially challenging because he felt the state had mismanaged the reopenings by allowing golf courses to be open before driving ranges.

“We had to stay closed for two months, which definitely hurt,” he said.

Several groups of families and friends got out on the green while keeping their distance. 

For Dartmouth resident Brian Willis, he said he was happy to enjoy the nice weather with his six-year-old son Ben, along with improving their short game.

“No, only you need to work on your putting,” his son said.

Sara Noel said she and her family greatly appreciated being able to use the bumper boats after some time in the batting cages.

“Yesterday we did mini golfing, today we did everything else,” she said. “It’s nice to feel a little bit of normalcy for once.”

Noel’s soon to be brother-in-law Jonathan Silva agreed, adding that it felt good to have some summer fun while supporting a local business.

“You forget that this stuff’s here,” he said.