6 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER June 2020
GOLF CLUB AS BUSY AS EVER DESPITE PANDEMIC
By COREY BUCHANAN
Charbonneau residents
and beyond fl ock to
course but keep social
distance
Though many in the Wilsonville
community and beyond
are mostly staying inside
to prevent the spread
of COVID-19, Charbonneau Golf
Club Head Golf Professional Chris
Bensel said the club has been as
busy as ever since the crisis began.
A few factors have led to the uptick,
according to Bensel and Charbonneau
resident Joann Linville, who is a Wilsonville
city councilor and the president
of the Charbonneau Women’s
Golf Association.
The weather has been unusually
sunny, for one. Bensel also gave away
thousands of free rounds at a recent
event, and Washington residents who
can’t play golf in that state are driving
to Oregon. Players at the temporarily
closed Charbonneau Tennis Club also
are deciding to take up golf.
“We have people traveling quite a
ways. We had one group that came
down from Gig Harbor (in Washington),”
Bensel said.
Bensel said he has heard from residents
who questioned the decision to
keep the course operating, but he
thinks club leaders can keep players
safe and that golf can be cathartic and
Barb Barber, left, and Ginny Moir, putt at the Charbonneau Golf Club.
spark joy, especially during this crisis.
“To me it’s one of the things that
creates normalcy during all this. I
think it’s a release for
those people who do
play golf. In my mind it’s
one of the bright sides of
this pandemic, that
we’re still able to play
golf, still get a physical
release and stay safe,”
he said.
“We’re seeing more
people here on this golf
course than we do generally,
and I think it’s because
people are delighted that
they’re able to get out of their house,
into the open air and play,” Linville
added.
Some precautions the club is taking
“It’s one of the things
that creates normalcy
during all this. ... We’re
still able to play golf, still
get a physical release
and stay safe.”
— Chris Bensel, Charbonneau
Golf Club head pro
PMG PHOTO: JAIME VALDEZ
to keep players safe include placing
marked lines in the clubhouse to make
sure people keep their distance, informing
and monitoring
players so that they
maintain distance while
on the course, only accepting
credit cards, removing
rakes from bunkers
and tweaking golf
holes so that players
don’t touch the hole or
the flag when they grab
their ball.
“In my mind, we’ve
done everything we can
to keep everyone safe and we’re stringent
about what we’re doing. We’re
keeping them safe and happy and enjoying
the game of golf,” Bensel said.
As of April 29, the club also has canceled
events for the foreseeable future
and the food service is only allowing
takeout. Linville said her women’s
group is still playing rounds even
though the men’s club suspended club
play.
“Everyone is very conscious of not
getting too close. There’s no hand
shakes, no high-fives, no hugs going
on. And that’s a little bit different,”
she said. “People are not able to sit
and visit and have lunch after playing.
There are some things that are different
but are very minor.”
On another note, adjusting to the
new holes, which were raised a few
inches off the ground, has been interesting,
Linville said, and has led to improved
handicaps. The club altered
the holes again recently so that the
ball can drop into a small hole, making
it a more realistic experience.
“People were hitting them so hard,
bouncing them off the cup (because it
was elevated and was essentially a
bumper) and saying it was good so
they were scoring about 10 shots below
normal,” Bensel said.
Linville said players are mostly following
guidelines.
“Both the public and our club members
and residents who are playing
are doing an excellent job, as well as
the golf course staff, in managing this
entire situation and following the governor’s
guidelines, keeping the players
safe and allowing people to have a
wonderful recreational outlet during
this COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.
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