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Ohio courses see about the same golfers from Pa.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ordered his state’s golf courses closed on March 19 as part of an order shuttering all non-life sustaining businesses.

In Ohio it hasn’t been that way during the COVID-19 pandemic as golf courses have been allowed to operate as long as proper social distancing practices are followed.

But has that meant increased business from sidelined Pennsylvania golfers for golf courses in eastern part of Columbiana County?

It’s really hard to say.

East Palestine Country Club is a little more than a mile from the Pennsylvania border.

“We’re getting a lot of (Pennsylvania play) anyway, but I would say it increased somewhat,” East Palestine Country Club superintendent Rick Kyler said.

Kyler noted that the Pennsylvania golfers that do come over have been vocal about the situation in their home state. Kyler estimates that he’s seeing golfers who would normally play such places as Black Hawk, Grassy Lane (nine-hole course in Darlington), Rolling Acres and Deer Trails Country Club.

Kyler said his course was doing well before the pandemic situation hit in March and that business has increased since “we’re the only game in town.”

Valley Golf Club in Columbiana, about 10 miles away from the border, says it has seen an increase of about a half a dozen Pennsylvania golfers at its course.

“In my opinion they tend to go to places like Beaver Meadows, East Palestine Country Club and Bedford Trails,” Valley owner Ted Ossoff Jr. said. “We’re kinda down in the corner and people don’t know we’re here.”

Ossoff said golfers there are sticking to the social distancing guidelines well and as long as the weather has been nice, business has been good.

“It’s not bad other than a couple things we had go wrong with the tornadoes and the fire,” Ossoff said.

Ossoff said downed trees from the confirmed EF1 tornado in Fairfield Township on April 8 have been cleared. A roof of a building on the property was damaged by fire the next day and Ossoff said the roof will be replaced once the insurance adjuster is through with the claim.

Turkana Golf Course is roughly 2 miles from the Pennsylvania border and course owner Doug Hoppel said he hasn’t noticed an increase in play from Keystoners.

“We’re on the line so the majority of our play has always been Pennsylvania,” Hoppel said. “A few extra might be coming over but it’s tough to say.”

Hoppel said on weekends he might see a larger amount of people traveling in to play, but so far business has been average for the season.

“When it’s warm out it’s good, when it’s cold it’s bad,” Hoppel said.

A representative at Beaver Creek Meadows, about 5 1/2 miles away from the border, said the course already sees a lot of Pennsylvania golfers from the Pittsburgh, Robinson Township and Hopewell areas and has not noticed an uptick in golfers from that state.

The representative said overall business has been good at the Meadows with the weekends doing “great” business.

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