Golf returns to McHenry County

At long last, golf returns Friday in Illinois, and “everything is out of the ordinary,” Turnberry Golf Club owner Sonny Oberoi said.

It has been a unique month and a half for everyone, and golf’s COVID-19 odyssey will come to an end in May with a heavily restricted reopening.

According to the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, golfers are limited to twosomes with 15 minutes between tee times, bookings must be made online or over the phone, ranges and practice greens must remain closed, golf carts are allowed only for golfers with physical disabilities or limitations, clubhouses must remain closed, and commonly touched items such as garbage cans and sand trap rakes must be removed, among a long list of other restrictions.

Nevertheless, golf is back.

“If this was the worst, we’ve survived it and, based on the interest that we’re seeing so far, I think we might make it,” Oberoi said.

Tee times at Turnberry in Lakewood, which is open to the public, are booked up this weekend. Oberoi said the staff has been hard at work preparing for an environment with no physical contact between customers and staff.

“A lot of stuff, we kind of know what to do,” Oberoi said. “A lot of stuff, we’re figuring out as we go.”

Courses across McHenry County are doing their best to make it work.

Lakewood Chief Administrative Officer Jeannine Smith oversees RedTail Golf Club, which the village owns. She said golfers are “so excited.” RedTail is booked Friday, Saturday and most of Sunday.

For public courses, restricting parties to two golfers “basically splits our revenue in half,” Smith said.

“It’s a good news, bad news situation,” Oberoi said. “There aren’t any tee times. They have such restrictive times allowed that we’re filling them up relatively easy.”

Restaurants at golf clubs remain closed, except for curbside pickup or delivery. Oberoi said that restaurant sales and events account for half of Turnberry’s business.

Smith is hoping to receive more clarification on who can access a cart. “Physical limitations” could be interpreted in various ways.

“We have a significant number of golfers who are retirees,” Smith said. “Some of them may or may not be able to walk the course.”

Oberoi wondered whether an older golfer who normally plays four times a week is going to play as much if he has to walk 5 to 7 miles a week in order to do so.

One local private course, Bull Valley Golf Club in Woodstock, beefed up its electronic resources for members while the club was physically closed.

Head golf professional Mike Picciano continued to provide lessons remotely, the club created an online pro shop, and the club added a live cooking class online. Picciano participated in a video educating members about the new golf restrictions.

“We found a new way for us to connect with our membership through this whole thing, being able to use social media more effectively,” Picciano said.

Bull Valley tee times are booked solid Friday and Saturday. General Manager Brad Hisel said the staff has been hard at work making sure employees – and members – follow all the guidelines.

“We don’t want to be the reason that the guidelines change for golf in the future,” Hisel said.

If there’s one positive of a month without golf, it’s that the courses have seen no traffic and are in tip-top shape.

“It’s gorgeous, green,” Smith said of RedTail. “The course is ready to go.”