with a member, the relationship changes – we’re almost like family members at that point, and that makes them feel good about their family being part of your facility for years to come.” Travel experts expect that there will be contin-ued uncertainty around trips in the coming months due to the Delta variant of COVID-19 . The list of countries that U.S. citizens can and can’t travel to is ever-shifting, and there are even domestic chal-lenges – such as an ongoing lack of rental cars. The Delta variant has also caused flight bookings to dip, as destinations such as Hawaii have actually asked travelers to postpone trips due to COVID spikes amid record numbers of tourist visits. PGA Professionals, however, report that the demand for golf and the desire to travel among their customers remains strong – and that golfers are will-ing to navigate the challenges as long as they have expert help in planning and executing their trips. “The value we give to our members by traveling with them right now is massive,” says Graham Cliff, PGA Director of Golf at Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colorado. “People want to travel, and they already feel safe at their home facilities. To give them that same feeling while traveling is leading to higher member satisfaction with our trips than ever before, and they’re selling out faster than ever. “Travel is one of the top amenities a facility can offer – it really completes the experience for a golfer. It shows that your PGA Professional is thinking of you and has a way to get you out there to travel, even during a pandemic.” Resort Facilities: Overcoming Challenges at Peak Capacity T he past 18 months have been a roller coaster ride for PGA Professionals at resort facilities. The 2020 golf season was nearing its start across much of the country when COVID-19 transitioned from an item of interest on the news to a health crisis that shut down many businesses, including golf courses. The brakes were applied to the roller coaster before its cars reached the top of the first hill. Once golf started reopening and established itself as a healthy way to enjoy outdoor activity through the Back 2 Golf initiative, however, the roller coaster quickly reached top speed and hasn’t slowed down since at most resort courses. Like most thrill rides, there have been highs and lows, and some stops and starts. Through it all, PGA Professionals have been keeping the ride running smoothly, and golfers are clearly enjoying the experience. The ride has been especially exciting at Oregon’s Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. During the pandemic, the coastal facility has opened a new course (the Sheep Ranch), hosted the U.S. Amateur in a COVID-19 bubble, completed new lodging and dining options, and announced plans to build more courses and facilities – all while maintaining a record level of daily play and navigating rolling changes to Oregon’s COVID-19 safety guidelines. PGA General Manager Jeff Simonds recalls how Bandon Dunes voluntarily closed its doors for six weeks in March 2020 to develop a plan that would allow golfers – and the resort’s 650 staffers, plus 300 caddies – to return safely to the links. After a one-week “soft opening” in early May for Oregon residents, the resort planned a gradual return to full operations. Golfers had other plans. “Closing the resort was really challenging, and ramping back up in early May was maybe more dif-ficult, getting all our staff back to work and putting precautions in place,” Simonds says. “After our soft opening, we thought there would be a slow trickle of national visitors returning. Instead, we went from zero to 60 really fast. “Every reservation that fell off the books in March and April was suddenly rebooked, and people wanted to go anywhere they could that was open. People were hungry for golf, and with Scotland and Ireland not accessible, we got a lot of people who might not have initially been looking this way.” That included the sold-out opening of the Sheep Ranch Course on June 1 , followed by the televised U.S. Amateur on the resort’s Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes courses in mid-August. Both highly anticipated events were different than they would have been pre-COVID, with fewer visiting media “ONCE YOU TRAVEL WITH A MEMBER, THE RELATIONSHIP CHANGES – WE’RE ALMOST LIKE FAMILY MEMBERS AT THAT POINT.” —MILTON CARSWELL, PGA, STONE OAK COUNTRY CLUB 72 | November 2021 | www.pgamagazine.com (password: PGAmag007)