The pandemic sparked a surge in interest in golf last year, as people flocked to area courses to escape from quarantine life.

The Golf Rush has continued right into this year.

Area courses remain as busy as Times Square on New Year's Eve.

"It's unbelievable," Pequot Golf Club pro Bob Hill said.

"We're absolutely mobbed every day," Shennecossett assistant pro Casey Roan said.

Elmridge director of golf Chris Jurgasik added: "It's just carried over. We thought there was going to be some kind of drop off and we don't see it. It's going strong."

That's good news for local clubs that needed a boost in the pre-pandemic years.

Newcomers picked up the sport. Others dusted off their clubs and started playing again while the regulars squeezed in as many rounds as they possibly could.

"All golf needed a boost," Jurgasik said. "It was slowly going backwards for quite a few years."

Now the biggest concern — outside of the weather — is accommodating the masses instead of trying to drum up interest in the sport.

Golfers' biggest concern just might be trying to get a tee time, especially on the weekends. And showing up at a course without a reservation will likely mean a long wait or quick return trip home without even swinging a club.

At Shennecossett, tee times are available a week in advance. Weekend play up to about 4 p.m. is usually sold-out within an hour.

"It's been busy all the time here," Roan said.

Membership, which rose significantly last year, continues to climb at area courses.

For example, Pequot has added about 40 new members while Elmridge is up as many as 20 members.

"In this day and age, that's a lot," Jurgasik said.

Shennecossett has around 320 members overall, which is by far the most the club has ever had, according to Roan.

"We have a lot of younger members," Roan said. "In the past, before COVID, we might have had four junior members. Now we've got to be over 50 junior members."

Other areas also have seen a surge in activity.

Golf outings are returning after many local groups took last year off.

More golfers are signing up for events at their respective clubs.

Pros already are ahead of last year as far as booking lessons.

There's no end in sight to the Golf Rush.

"It's been crazy," Roan said. "I saw (pro) Kevin Shea last week over at Great Neck. He said they're nuts over there, too, and they're private."

"Everything is booming," Hill said. "It's nice."

Short putts

• For the second straight year, Dave Jones of Mohegan Sun Golf Club made a nice run at the Connecticut State Golf Association's 15th Senior Match Play Championship this week at Torrington Country Club in Goshen.

Jones qualified for match play and then reached the quarterfinals before losing to Bob Murphy of Brownson Country Club, 3 and 1, on Thursday. The match was tied through 14 holes before Murphy took three straight holes to secure the win.

Last year, Jones shared medalist honors in stroke play and then advanced to the semifinals.

This season, Jones is off to a strong start. He's won three CSGA One Day tournaments, tied for second and tied for third in two others.

• Semifinal pairings are set for the Elmridge Golf Course senior club championship. Lou Laudone will play Anthony Kargul while defending champion Pete Stefanski battles George Luzzi on Saturday. Winners will play in the championship match on Sunday.

• Three holes at Pequot Golf Club have a new look. Bunkers have been removed from No. 4, No. 6 and No. 16.

"We took out the traps and filled them in and put in some nice grass areas," Hill said. "It is easier to take care of... And just to make it look better."

In other club news, the President's Cup competition is underway. The field has been whittled down to the final eight, with Anthony Davison the top seed. The winner will be decided on July 12

• Hole in One club: Fifteen-year old Alexander Salerno scored an ace on the 112-yard, 7th hole at Cedar Ridge Golf Course in East Lyme. He used a pitching wedge.

Also at Cedar Ridge, Jay Knight aced the 127-yard, 18th hole, to accomplish the feat for the second time, his first since 1999. Michael Tomaszek had his hole-in-one on the 104-yard, fourth hole.

• Phil Levine and Arthur Bogen combined to win the men's member-member tournament last weekend at Old Lyme Country Club while Paula Bingham and Patty Kurlansky captured the women's member-member title on Tuesday, closing out the match on the 17th hole. Katie Bolo and Jodie Godbut earned runner-up status.

The women's golf association's league season began with an opening day luncheon on June 3.

Helene Nichols of Old Saybrook won a Flag Day event on June 17. Michelle Abraham of Old Lyme was second and Esther Boyle of Essex took third. The format involved each golfer receiving a flag with an individualized number of allotted strokes based on her handicap. When a golfer reached the limit, she was out of the match.

• Earlier this spring, George Thurrott won the President's Cup men's event at Norwich Golf Course, with John Crocker being the runner-up. Lorie Jakubowski was the women's champion.

• Black Hall Club in Old Lyme hosted the 22nd Connecticut Women's Open, the two day event running June 7-8. Melissa Siviter of the Golf Club of Georgia was the champion, posting a 2-over 146.

Lynn Valentine, a former St. Bernard High School and University of Hartford golfer, tied for 25th at 161 (78-83). She won the event in 2008. Waterford graduate Caroline Petchark also competed, shooting a 172 (88-84).

• Matt Fuller of Great Neck Country Club in Waterford made the cut and advanced to match play in the 119th Connecticut Amateur at Hartford Golf Club earlier this month. After firing a 144 (68-76), Fuller earned the 29th seed, facing No. 4 Christopher Ayers of Goodwin Golf Club. He lost 3 and 2.

Golf marathon

Here's an amazing story. According to Golf Digest, Swiss golfer Jurg Randegger set a world record for most holes played while walking in 12 hours or less by completing 252 holes in 11 hours, 22 minutes, in late May at Ostschweizerischen Golf Club in Niederbüren, Switzerland. He walked the course and used only one club, a seven iron.

He played a total of 14 rounds that day and covered 57 miles. He ended up with five birdies and fired a 90 on his final round.

Upcoming events

• The Connecticut Senior Open returns to Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton next month. In its 39th year, the tournament will tee off Monday and Tuesday, July 12-13. Entry deadline is Tuesday.

• The 95th Norwich Invitational, the marquee local tournament of the summer, will run July 16-18 at Norwich Golf Course. Registration will close on July 14, or when the field is full. For more information, call the pro shop at 889-6973.

• Qualifying for the Shennecossett Golf Course men's club championship begins on the weekend of July 24-25.

• Old Lyme Country Club is a stop on the Connecticut PGA Junior Tour. The Nine Hole Old Lyme Junior Open tees off Aug. 2. And the Players Tour Finale will be held on Aug. 18 at Shennecossett.

g.keefe@theday.com