Worcester Business Journal

10 Worcester Business Journal | March 29, 2021 | wbjournal.com G O L F & M E E T I N G S FOCUS G olf was not doing so well. Courses were oen hurting, and some even closing, as people struggled to find the time, or perhaps the money, to play a round. e coronavirus pandemic changed that. A public health crisis that meant being outside and spread apart benefited a sport that's all about those two things – being out on the course with partners who might never need to come within six feet of each other. It was all enough to more or less make up for the lack of weddings, showers, and other banquets golf Golf 's back e pandemic has turned around fortunes for golf courses, as they enter a new season looking to capitalize on the sport's resurgence BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor courses would typically rely on for much of their revenue, especially in the warmer months. It was also enough to pleasantly surprise leaders of Central Massachusetts golf courses expecting a difficult year all around. "It took me by surprise," said Troy Sprister, the general manager of Worcester Country Club. Sprister, whose club's history stretches back more than a century, thought the pandemic would bring crippling economic struggles, forcing people to give up their memberships. Instead, many found extra time on their hands, particularly if they now worked from home or were forgoing travel. ey also found, rediscovered, or doubled down on a leisure activity rarely requiring coming too close to others. A rollercoaster year At the New England Country Club in Bellingham, Mike Daron, the golf director, tracked the dramatic ups and downs of the 2020 season. A warm start to the year brought the number of rounds up 87% from where it would normally be. en the pandemic hit. e course was then down 23%. It finished the year up 30%, despite weeks in the spring in which all courses were forced to close. Nick Rossoll, Worcester Country Club's first assistant golf pro, lines up a putt on the course's first hole. Aaron Walker, an assistant golf pro at Worcester Country Club, played the club's first hole on a warm day in March. PHOTOS/MATT WRIGHT

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