Our best reviewer photos of the month for April 2020
For much of April, the coronavirus pandemic derailed golf throughout large swaths of the United States.
Northern states like Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine, Massachusetts and others couldn't start their seasons because of government mandates. California never had a full golf lockdown, but many counties forced temporary closures.
Despite golf course closures and restrictions on travel, that didn't stop golfers in certain states from enjoying courses near them, reviewing courses and sending in photos. We've noticed at Golf Advisor that despite coursese closing their clubhouses and altering other parts of their operations to comply with CDC Social Distancing guidelines, the average overall star rating has increased in the past month by .15/5.0. In addition to golfers perhaps savoring their games more than normal, other courses that were closed for a period of time were able to get their courses into better condition, both with their greens as well as any other special projects that couldn't be done with golfers on the course.
Several states like North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia enjoyed strong demand during the pandemic, according to GolfNow data. In the past couple weeks since more states in the Midwest opened, Minnesota and Wisconsin in particular are enjoying huge surges in rounds played.
"During these crazy times, means a lot to have a get away and breath in fresh air and not worry about the worlds issue," wrote this reviewer of Sugartree Golf Club in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. "Thanks to everyone at Sugartree. It means a lot for a weary firefighter like myself to have the sun on my face and the wind at my back on the golf course."
Here are the best user photos we received. Hopefully this is the start of a virus-free summer filled with golf. If you've managed to play golf safely during these times, you are welcome to leave a review here.