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Date: 6/28/2021
SOUTH HADLEY/GRANBY – Even through the pandemic, local golf clubs have remained resilient and are in a strong position as the peak golf season has teed off.
The Orchards Golf Club on 18 Silverwood Ter. has been in South Hadley for 99 years. It includes a golf shop, grill room, dining room and outdoor patio.
They’ve hosted the 1987 U.S Women’s Junior Championship, the 2001 Massachusetts State Men’s Amateur Championship, the 2002 NCAA Women’s Division III Finals, the 2004 U.S Women’s Open and the 2010 Massachusetts Senior Four-Ball Championship. The club has also been used as a venue for wedding receptions, banquets and corporate events.
General Manager Chris Tallman said, “Right now, our membership is very close to capacity, so we are strictly a private club. Our membership has grown tremendously over the past couple of years and we have about 10 to 12 memberships available.”
The Orchards Golf Club began in 1922 when philanthropist Joseph Skinner contracted Scotsman Donald J. Ross to design a golf course for his daughter Elizabeth. It was originally a nine-hole golf course and the second nine was built several years later in 1927. The club was sold to Mount Holyoke College in 1941, where it remains today.
Tallman told Reminder Publishing the pandemic has been a very difficult time for a lot of industries. While the golf industry has seen its own challenges through this pandemic, they have also seen some positives. Because golf was recognized as an outdoor activity that catered to social distancing, he has seen a lot of people getting back into the game or just getting into the game. Golf became very popular in 2020 because it was one of the few activities in which people were able to partake. While there were many guidelines and restrictions Orchards Golf had to put in place to keep people safe, they still saw record numbers of rounds at the club.
“As far as participation on the golf course and participation amongst our membership, we’ve actually seen growth,” said Tallman. “People are playing more golf because they might have been working from home or had a little bit of flexibility in their schedule. We are still seeing this into the 2021 season. It’s quite interesting where a lot of other industries really struggle through this, the golf industry in some ways has actually benefited from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Orchards will no longer host any outside events other than state and USGA events. On July 20 to 21, the club will host the 2021 Massachusetts Girl’s Amateur Championship and the 2022 Massachusetts Women’s Amateur Championship. As its centennial approaches, the Orchards’ goal is to continue having strong membership and provide a great experience for their members and guests.
“We’re constantly trying to find a way to improve our experience here for our members,” Tallman added. “To have a club that’s been around for almost 100 years is such a milestone. It’s been very important to our community here in South Hadley.”
He continued, “The Orchards has such a strong history and culture, I’m honored to be here at the club. While it is a fantastic golf course and has a great membership, we’re also focused on what we can do to support our local community. We’re continuing to move in a great direction and look forward to continuing that for many years to come”
The Orchards is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the golf shop. Those interested in a membership, should contact Tallman at ctallman@orchardsgolf.com or call at 535-2582.
The Westover Municipal Golf Club located at 181 South St. in Granby has been owned and operated by the town of Ludlow since 1974. They have golf passes for Ludlow residents and non-residents for the season, and offer women’s golf lessons every Monday night all season long. This year, they’ll be doing their junior camp beginning Aug. 9 to 13, teaching children ages 6 to 16 the rules of golf and etiquette.
Golf Professional Bill Kubinski said, “Normally, we get somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 kids. This year, we’re going to keep it a little bit smaller, probably not more than 40, so we can keep everybody socially distanced.”
Designed by Orrin Smith, the Westover Municipal Golf Course first opened in 1957 as part of the Westover Air Force base when it was an active part of the Strategic Air Command.
“The golf course was built for the officers stationed at Westover. They began construction in 1945 and finished in 1947,” said Kubinski. “When the base was decommissioned in 1973, the Department of the Interior offered it to the town of Granby first for a dollar and they declined. Then they offered it to the town of Ludlow because half of the property is in Ludlow. The town of Ludlow undertook the golf course in 1973 and opened for business in 1974.”
When the pandemic happened, Kubinski said the club was shut down for nine weeks. They closed on March 18, 2020 and reopened May 20, 2020. Since reopening, Kubinski said the club has been the busiest he seen it in 20 years.
However, Westover will not be doing outings or events this year, just daily play. “With the size of the clubhouse, typically outings are gatherings of 120 or 150 people at a time,” said Kubinski. “When you put that many people into a smallish clubhouse, it’s tricky to navigate the protocols.”
In the meantime, Kubinski said he will monitor numbers from the state Health Department in their off season around Thanksgiving.?He said if it looks like the state can get 85 to 90 percent of Massachusetts residents vaccinated then the club will start hosting golf tournament events, graduation parties and after-funeral functions with the hope of going back to normal by next spring.
The Westover Municipal Golf Club’s hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day of the week. More information on the golf course can be found online at westovergolfcourse.com or by calling 547-8610.