Golf column: Courses reporting heavy volume of play during pandemic

Williamstown, Mass.

In a country mostly shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, golf hasn't only survived, it has thrived.

A combination of being one of the few activities available and a great stretch of weather has courses busier than ever, including during the week.

Weary golf pros convened Monday at Waubeeka for a Northeastern New York PGA tournament, and for many it was their first day off in a while.

"Golf is coming through this pandemic in a pretty good spot," said Scott Berliner, an assistant pro at Saratoga Spa. "Nothing to watch on TV, you can't go to sporting events, you really can't do much, but you can get outside and play golf and be safe doing it. We're going to come out of this, as far as the golf industry, pretty well."

"It's one of the few things people can do," Mill Road Acres head pro Peter Gerard said. "It's outdoors, it's healthy, with distancing. Kids' sports, nothing going on, so a lot of kids are running around. The parents are trying to get them involved them a little. A lot of parents who used to travel for business or whatnot, or go to the lake on a weekend, they haven't been able to do that. We've been busy."

"They're playing more golf than I've ever seen before," Albany Country Club director of golf Glenn Davis said. "I've talked to most pros, and that's what is happening. I have guys that don't play very often because of business travel or kids' sports or whatever. They are out at all times of the day. We used to get a crowd at around 5 when they got out of work. Now we see guys at 8 in the morning during the week that probably have played at 8 in the morning during the week in 10 years."

Adding to the workload is the mandate that riding carts cannot be shared unless the occupants live in the same household. Many clubs have added to...