GOLF
Part of the increased traffic at Sacramento ’ s public courses came because of the closure of Bay Area courses in the spring . Tee times at courses such as Haggin Oaks were gobbled up by out-of-towners in the early stages of the pandemic . “ Sacramento golf had been in a slow decline over the last 15 years ,” Haggin Oaks head pro Mike Woods says . “ Tee times had been pretty easy to get because the market had been overbuilt . All of a sudden , we saw all that go away . Golf has become popular again .”
And , after experiencing its busiest year ever in 2020 , with 48,000 rounds ,
Sierra View Country Club in Roseville saw play increase even more in early 2021 , while El Macero Country Club , located outside Davis , had to close for five weeks — but added 100 new members once it reopened . “ People aren ’ t vacationing , traveling or attending youth soccer games ,” Green says . “ It ’ s been a perfect storm , and every pro I talk to is seeing the same thing .”
With schools restricted to distance learning and popular activities such as youth soccer and Little League canceled , parents saw golf as an outlet for their children ’ s pentup energy . Adults working at home
36 comstocksmag . com | June 2021