Golf Capital Seeing More Golfers

The golf business in Crossville, Tennessee’s golf capital, has been thriving since courses reopened in May.

Fairfield Glade Community Club Director Jeff Houston said in the month of June, the course had the largest number of golfers since 2016.

“I think a lot of people are playing more golf now because they feel like it’s a safe activity being outside,” Houston said. “I’m hearing that from other golf courses in our area and also across the state that golf has been booming.”

Houston said the Fairfield Glade Golf Course was closed the entire month of April. While May was slow, June and July are proving to be their biggest months yet. Over 21,500 golfers played in June, 1,000 more than last year.

The golf course has implemented safety precautions such as employees wearing masks, sanitizing golf carts after each use, and removing water coolers. Houston said staff has eliminated a lot of areas normally touched on the golf course.

“We’re leaving the flag sticks in, we have a pool noodle at the bottom of the cup so when the ball goes in it actually just sets on top of the noodle so you don’t have to put your hand down in the cup to retrieve your ball,” Houston said. “We’ve eliminated bunker rakes, water coolers on the course-anything that we feel like would be a high touch point with multiple people, we have eliminated.”