MHGCC made the most of 2020

It was a year like no other, and Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club made the most of it.

The local track earned the title of this year’s best golf course after rolling with the punches presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and keeping the game alive through what ended up being a pretty successful season, says general manager Cam Jacques.

“It was a successful year under not-so-ideal conditions, but overall pretty good,” said Jacques. “We strive to do our best and it’s nice when you’re recognized for something like (Best of Medicine Hat).”

Golf courses was among the first recreational options allowed to reopen last spring. But that didn’t mean it was business as usual. New guidelines aimed at limiting contact points and ensuring social distancing came into effect in a hurry, but Jacques says his team of veterans managed to take the changes in stride.

“It was definitely a challenge, right from the get-go,” said Jacques. “There were COVID protocols for the golf course, for the retail operation in the pro shop, and of course for the dining room and lounge — and they’re all different. That was a challenge, because they were all different and they all changed throughout the summer.”

Looking to the 2021 season, Jacques says many of those guidelines — such as foam in the cups and no rakes in the sand — will likely remain for a while, but it’s still shaping up to be a long season of golf with warmer weather already taking hold in Southern Alberta.

“I’ve been here 21 years and this is our fifth March opening,” he said. “My hope is, as the season progresses and more people will get vaccinated, and when the warmer weather comes and people are outside, the number of cases goes down, then eventually we can start eliminating some of those restrictions.”