LONDON, ONT. -- There are nearly two million golfers in Ontario who are unable to play the game they love.

Despite British Columbia and many U.S. states saying golf courses can be open, the provincial government in Ontario still is deeming the sport a non-essential business.

"As time goes on we have to stop talking about essential and non-essential businesses, and what is safe and not safe," says Doug Breen, a regional vice-president with GolfNorth Properties, which owns multiple courses in the London region.

Breen isn't arguing whether they should be considered essential, but rather is pushing to be at the top of the list when it comes to Premier Doug Ford starting to ease restrictions.

"We're ready to go now, and we have protocols in place," says Breen. "We believe can operate our courses safely."

B.C.'s Shadow Ridge Golf Club opened its doors to the public last week with a list of 20 protocols place.

"There was a few times someone would start walking to you and you would have to put your club up, and say stay away," says Clay Atkinson, a golfer in B.C.

They even posted a video on their website along with the full list of rules, which are much like the extensive list being proposed by GolfNorth, including paying online to avoid contact.

Breen discusses spreading tee times out, showing up right before the round and walking straight to tee. He adds when your done head right back to parking lot.

"We've told the provincial government, we'll open however you want us to open," says Breen. "If you want just the course and everything locked up, we can do that. But once you are off the first tee, you are 300 yards away from group in front and behind you."

Every day that the three City of London-owned courses are closed, they are losing revenue.

"It's hard on our workforce and those that provide a service to publicly owned courses," says Jon-Paul McGonigle, division manager with City of London Parks and Recreation.

"It's a difficult time, but the health of the community comes first and we continue to follow the direction that we have to."

McGonigle says they currently have minimal staff maintaining the greens and essential aspects of the public courses because protecting those assets is necessary to avoid more financial issues.

The next step is to look at how they will handle a reduced schedule with courses closed until at least May 12.

"We sell a lot of memberships prior to the season, but when we get into May we'll have to have some conversations and financials related to those memberships," says McGonigle.

Ford wants to be able to hit the links himself, but he told TSN 1050 Radio Friday his hands are tied.

"My buddies are busting my chops," says Ford. "However we have to take direction from the chief medical officer. When they give us the green light we'll get out there."

There are multiple petitions online asking for the province to 'take a mulligan' on their stance. One of them has met its goal of 35,000 signatures.

Breen says the golf industry employs about 110,000 people at its peak in Ontario alone.

His company would be running with 400 to 500 people at their 31 provincial courses.

"We're using just one-tenth of that staff," says Breen. "They are cutting grass, doing security and that's it."

He says the reality is that some courses will not be able to survive an extended layoff. Owners rely on the warmer weather to start to pay back some of their staff that have been working through the spring, and that revenue stream just isn't there.

He wants everyone to understand that walking on the course with protocols is no different than taking a 5 km walk on a trail.

"Physical distancing is built into the game," says Breen. "Playing golf is the safest thing you could be doing in this environment right now."