BY KATHERINE LAZARUS
PITTSFORD – The scenic Green Mountain and Adirondack views at Proctor Pittsford Country Club have attracted increased waves of visitors and members alike, resulting in 30 people on their capped waitlist for the first time in 20 years.
Club Manager John Ojala, who is from Proctor and has worked there for 30 years, explained that one unexpected silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic has been an increase in the number of people playing golf, a sport that makes it easy to socially distance outside.
“COVID has been one of the best things to happen to golf in 20 years,” said Ojala. “A lot of people took up the game and a lot of people played for the first time in years.”
A visit of the golf course and club, located on a ridgeline near the Pittsford-Proctor town lines with beautiful views both to the east and west, finds a busy clubhouse with locals and visitors of all ages practicing their golf swing at practice tees and on the 18-hole course.
The course opened in 1928 with 9 holes, then developed into an 18-hole club in 1989. It offers three sets of tee boxes and 61 sand bunkers over a 6,048-yard course.
PPCC has been around for so long that a book was published in 2004 detailing the development and story of the course called “From Farms to Fairways, History of the Proctor Pittsford Country Club” by Mary Fregosi. It’s available at the club’s pro shop.
PPCC, a club that sees approximately 20,000 rounds of golf every year, was not able to open last April when everything closed, but was permitted to open May 7, 2020 and has been staying busy ever since with their 450 members and public golfers.
“It’s a great group of people, everyone seems to have fun, and the views are incredible,” said Ojala. Tee times are spaced out right now, a lasting COVID limitation at the course, which is rated with a par 68.9 and a slope rating of 116.
This past year a few new tees were added for the 2021 season and a lot of work was spent on grooming the course. “I’m most proud of the shape of the course,” said Ojala, who recommends hole number 10 as one of his favorites “because there is a pond on either side of the green” and golfers can tee-off while looking down the landscape from the clubhouse.
Another improvement coming this summer will be the addition of a large outdoor awning over the existing patio at the restaurant, Redfield’s. The restaurant was built in the 1990s and bought by the club four years ago. The awning is expected to be erected by July 22, weather permitting.
Redfield’s is open to golfers as well as the public and likes to support local products, such as serving beers on tap like Lawson’s Sip O’ Sunshine, and many others, plus it hosts special events and reservations throughout the season.
The awning will be ready in time for the Men’s Member-Guest Tournament, their biggest event of the year on July 22-25 that expects to have about 90 teams of two. There is also a Women’s Member-Guest Tournament Aug. 9.
With increased interest in the sport, Ojala said he PPCC expects to tee times to be full throughout the season, while he will be ready to help in the pro shop, lending golfing tips like “You’ve gotta relax—you can’t have any tension when you swing,” as advice for those getting back into the game.
