Palm Springs golf courses to stay closed for at least two weeks, Agua Caliente course opens Sat.

The Palm Springs City Council decided to wait another two weeks before making a decision on whether or not to reopen the city's golf courses, tennis and pickleball courts.

Mayor Geoff Kors said he heard from Agua Caliente Tribal Chairman Jeff Grubbe that Indian Canyons Golf Resort, run by the tribe, would reopen Saturday.

Tribal Chairman Jeff L. Grubbe told the Palm Springs City Council they are following Riverside County's guidelines.

Earlier this week, Riverside County amended its order and reopened golf courses with certain restrictions, while Palm Springs' measures remain in place.

Golfing restrictions include:

• Play shall be limited to foursomes that will be required to observe social distancing (six feet separation between players at all times).
• No caddies.
• No large gatherings, including fundraisers or tournaments, will be permitted before June 20, 2020.
• Face coverings, such as scarves, bandanas and neck gaiters, shall be worn by players and workers.
• No in-person dining will be allowed at clubhouses.

Although the county amended its order, Palm Springs chose not to. Palm Springs city officials wrote that they weren't consulted by the County before the order was amended.

The city council reviewed Riverside County’s amended order in order to determine the "interplay and impacts of the County’s orders." The city council agreed that they needed more information and a set plan before making a decision.

The city council also wants to monitor how the order affects other cities as well.

Tennis and pickleball are also not allowed in Palm Springs under the current orders.

"This is hard; these are hard decisions because we don't know what the next two weeks will hold and if it could cause outbreaks or fatalities," said Mayor Pro-Tem Christy Holstege.

Before making the decision, councilmembers weighed the public's need for exercise.

"Exercise really does matter to people," said Councilmember Lisa Middleton. "It’s a part of good health, so I would like for those who do not live in HOAs, those who do not have access, to be able to enjoy these sports."

They also considered a number of risks, including enforcement, a potential strain on city staff and police.

"We’re going to need help," said Police Chief Bryan Reyes. "There’s no way we can do it alone to shoulder enforcement on all these."

They also considered the inherent health risks of allowing people to gather on courses and courts.

"People are gathering, they are passing, they are talking, they are drinking a beer together on the golf course," Holstege said. "Those things are going to happen."

"If we're going to do this, we need to do it right," Kors said. "I don't think we're quite there yet."

County Public Health Officer Cameron Kaiser briefly called into the meeting, and said he's preparing for the county to announce Friday a new policy on community pools: the implementation of a one-person per pool rule. Public and city pools would remain restricted.

You can reach Jake on Twitter, Facebook or email him at jake.ingrassia@kesq.com.

As of April 23, Palm Springs has the third most coronavirus cases in the Coachella Valley with 87 and the most coronavirus-related deaths in the valley with 9. The city's case rate has slowed down a lot in the past two weeks.

Read: Riverside County reaches 100 coronavirus deaths, 904 recoveries

News Channel 3's Jake Ingrassia will have more on the council's decision tonight at 10 and 11 p.m.

Stay with News Channel 3 for updates.