The Portage Golf Club will officially be closed until further notice.

They originally planned to open the course on April 15, but being that they are not an essential business, they will not be able to start the season until as they intended. Golf course general manager Deb Pritchard says the decision was basically out of their hands. She describes the likelihood of the course still opening at some point this season.

“We’re obviously very optimistic that we will get to a point where we will be able to open. At this point, once these mandates lift for non-essential businesses or when we get a directive that we are able to proceed with operations, we are in to process of putting policies and procedures in place to keep everyone healthy and safe," she says. "The advantage we have at the golf club is that we have a vast, extensive property and there’s a lot of ways we can socially distance people and still have them enjoy the golf course.”

One thing many people don’t realize is the Portage Golf Club is still a business and they will be affected by this pandemic from that standpoint as well. Pritchard explains what ways they are going to be affected.

“It definitely impacts business, just like any other business here in our community,” says Pritchard. “Right now we’re shut down completely, which has resulted in staff not being able to be brought back on. We’re at the point in the season where we would’ve been bringing staff back in and hiring summer students, hiring a lot of kids and teenagers to work for the season but all of that has been put on hold indefinitely. The long term affects of this, how it might impact all or portions of our season are yet to be determined.”

Pritchard says golfers who need to get their fix should try hitting a few balls in their back yard or practice their putting on an area rug or carpet for the time being.