b'The courses are less crowded so tee times are easier to get. The courses are played less so conditioning is at high levels.cross-provincial travel also off the table, these destinations have had to exist exclusively off ofHomestead FarmsBritish Columbia residents.Without a doubt, the course experiencing the toughest time is Bald Eagle Golf Club at Point Roberts, Wash., which is closed until further notice. If you are not familiar with Point Roberts proper, its a sliver of land off the tip of the lower mainland of British Columbia. Technically in the United States, in order to access the area from Washington state you have to cross the Canadian border, then cross back through another U.S. border checkpoint.So with all this lack of border travel, the Washington clubs have had to get creative and reach to the south to gain additional players. All of the courses have created specials and rate programs that are designed to draw more play from the Greater Puget Sound area.The courses are less crowded so tee times are easier to get. The courses are played less so conditioning is atLoomis Trail Sudden Valleyhigh levels.One thing all the courses have in common is their taking serious the protocols and safety procedures for any golfer who ventures out, or those who go even further and take advantage of any of their stay-and-play packages. If there has been a silver lining to all the uncertainty that the pandemic has caused, its been the influx of new golfers, something the game has been desperate to find. Courses such as Homestead Farms in Lynden, Wash., We have seen people out here we haventLoomis Trail in Blaine, Wash., and Sudden Valley in before, OBryan said. Girls and ladies lessons are way up. Youth camps have been packed, and we haveBellingham, Wash. relied heavily on golfers coming adjusted our options to fit those new folks. We haveacross the border from Canada. Although still impacted a program for youth under 18 years old where they play free with a paying adult, or on their own $5 forby the border closure, courses are being creative in nine holes, $10 for 18 holes, and anyone home fromdrawing new golfers from within their state or province. college can play for $1 per hole.Nobody is sure when the border will reopen. Rumors pop up all the time. Border Patrol agents are golfers too, and they play these courses. But even they dont know the future.But one thing is for sure, when the border does open, the greater Northwest golf communityits courses, the PGA pros, the staff, the greens crewwill be ready and willing to make sure everyone feels welcome.JohnTippingSEPT 2020 |PACIFIC NORTHWEST GOLFER21'