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Golf courses closed but still have to pay for maintenance

May 14, 2021   ·   0 Comments

Local golf courses are idle as the provincial shut-down order mandates they may not open the fairways to players.

While closed, they still have to pay for maintenance to keep the course in top shape while they wait for the green light to reopen.

Woodington Lake, Nottawasaga Resort, the Club at Bond Head, and the Canadiana Country Club in Beeton, are watching the situation to see how it plays out.

Golf courses in the region were watching the situation in Tillsonburg closely as one club defied the band and decided to remain open.

That situation has changed after the OPP charged the club and started fining players.

The Bridges at Tillsonburg Golf Course in Tillsonburg, Ontario, has decided to close temporarily and has stopped booking tee times.

The course had defied the provincial shut-down order and opened its fairways on April 24. It was the only golf course operating in Ontario.

In a statement, the course said: “We have implemented the necessary protocols to ensure our golfers are able to play safely. We are excited to be open and the course is in fantastic condition.”

The course has also put into place protocols that were used during last season. That includes removing rakes and tools from the greens, inverting the cups so players don’t have to reach into the hole, and encouraging walking rather than using a golf cart.

The first couple of days saw the course full of golfers taking advantage of the weather while the local OPP set up shop across the road and watched what was going on without taking any action against either the course or the golfers.

Originally when asked about the situation, the police responded “It is under investigation.”

That all changed on May 2, when police charged the golf course and started issuing fines to golfers who played the course.

Police were photographing golfers on the 9th and 17th holes, then stopping them after they left the course.

Individual players were issued tickets for $750.

One player posted a photo of a sign in the golf course pro shop advising golfers not to pay the fine and to return the ticket with “rescind” written across it.

Legal experts responded that taking legal advice from a golf course wasn’t the best course of action.

The golf course could be fined up to $10 million, although that is unlikely to happen.

While the owners of the golf course insist it is safe to be out on the course, it was announced on May 4, that they would temporarily be closing the facility.

In a statement, the Club said, “The Bridges at Tillsonburg would like to thank the hundreds of golfers and citizens who have supported us during our ‘opening in protest’ of the lock-down measures taken against golf courses. The opening was not about making money. It was in protest of unreasonable measures. To demonstrate this, we are donating all the profits from the course opening to organizations who represent those who have been adversely affected by the lockdowns. Including the Tillsonburg Helping Hand Food Bank, Domestic Abuse Service Oxford (DASO), and Wellkin (Child & Youth Mental Wellness).”

The golf industry has been lobbying the provincial government to allow them to reopen courses across the province saying the sport is safe to play.

Industry experts say if the shut-down remains in place through June, some golf course will be forced to close permanently.

By Brian Lockhart
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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