December tee times a bonus for robust golf season

It may be mid-December, but the date on the calendar hasn’t stopped golfers from squeezing in what may be their last rounds of the season.

“Well I think we might be just a wee bit crazy, but however… we just gotta hold onto our hat and hope for the best,” said Doug Jones, one of more than 150 golfers who could be found playing Pine Knot Golf and Country Club in Dorchester Thursday.

Spring-like temperatures have resulted in a late year golf boom, with several area courses taking advantage of the bonus year-end business.

The wind was howling, but the course was in fine shape said Dave Spencer, who also teed it up at Pine Knot. “The grass is not too bad. It’s not frozen, it’s dry, it’s good.”

Golfers have been fortunate in both the late and early parts of the season. Pine Knot members Bonnie Marriott and Randy Hewitt played Thursday, and hoped to play once more on Friday. “We’ve had 200 rounds here this year,” said Marriott.

“March was great eh,” added Hewitt. “It was the best March I’ve ever had golfing. We had almost 17 rounds in March.”

Golf in the colder months, at least at some London area courses, is not unprecedented. But, much like last year, COVID has resulted in 2021 being one of the busiest golf seasons in recent memory, attracting people to the great outdoors.

Over the whole season, rounds at Pine Knot topped 40,000 according to Pro Shop Manager Dean Gocan. “We can play outside, we can stay away from one another. You know it’s a safe sport to do, and you’re getting some fresh air and exercise, which is always nice.”

Across the province it was much the same, with golf seen as a respite from the pandemic said Mike Kelly, the executive director of Golf Ontario. Kelly tells CTV News that golf participation in Ontario is up by 30 per cent, compared to pre-COVID levels. He said golf membership is the highest it’s been since 2001.

“People coming back to the game, but also playing for the first time. The experience is a little different, if you’ve played golf in the last two years. Sometimes there’s no rakes in bunkers. You can’t touch the flag-stick. A lot of that has just really helped the game, you know it’s kept fun at the forefront.”

Kelly added that membership with Golf Ontario is the highest it’s been since 2001.