A line of golf carts wa waiting at the first hole of the Silver Lake Golf Course Wednesday, all of them golfers waiting to tee off.

"Thirty-two carts - so 64 people coming out to play golf today," says one employee of the course.

The stream of golfers continued all afternoon creating a sense of normalcy amid the coronavirus crisis.

Some said they see no reason to cancel their weekly golf outing at Silver Lake, which is owned by the city and bills itself as "the working man's country club."  

Others came because municipal golf courses are among the few recreational facilities that have not shut down because of the virus and the demand for "social distancing" to limit its spread.

"Look how clear it is," one golfer said. "People are not on top of each other. We’re out here to have a nice time, and you know, it’s not like you’re in a club or a bar having lunch, and we bring our own coffee."

"My wife’s home with the kids, so I get a little break today," said another.

Still, amid the familiar calls of "Fore!" and golfers shaking off the rusty swings of a winter spent indoors, there are signs the pandemic is affecting life here, too.

The cafe where many usually sit, eat and grab is grab-and-go only now, something that changed at least a few lunch plans.  

Golfers were mostly careful to keep their distance from each other - golf is an easy no-contact sport for that - and many cleaned up with sanitary wipes after they finished their round.

The groundskeeper in charge of assigning golf carts wears medical gloves and sprays down the driving wheel with a cleanser.

"You're not touching anything. You're out in the open, so you know, the guys are all friendly," the groundskeeper said. "When we shake, we do the elbow thing, you know, try to be as careful as we can."

Golfers we spoke with say this is exactly the time of year where they itch to get out of their homes and onto the greens.

"This is our only, our only sanctuary," said one golfer.

"I"m very happy too that the course is open," said another.

And they're hoping it stays open. Friday is expected to be in the 70s, weather that will certainly call them to the golf course, coronavirus or not.