Golfers can return to the green fairways and blue skies of the Forest Lakes Golf Club at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College on June 17.

Superintendent Austin Lawton said Forest Lakes has been closed for 10 weeks because of the pandemic but the staff has used every day during that time to spruce up the course and get it ready for action.

“The course looks excellent,” Lawton, a graduate of ABAC’s golf course management program, said.  “The greens have been aerified and verticut twice this year, and we have also verticut all the tees and fairways.”

As for coping with coronavirus concerns, Lawton said many extra steps are being taken to make sure all golfers feel safe when they are in the clubhouse and on the course.

“We have lots of hand sanitizer, and we’re disinfecting the carts after every player,” Lawton said.  “With very few exceptions, we’ll limit the carts to only one person.  Bunker rakes will be removed from all bunkers.”

ABAC has operated Forest Lakes since 2002 when Dr. Larry Moorman and his wife, Debra, donated the course to the ABAC Foundation.  The college uses the course as a teaching laboratory for students in a variety of bachelor’s degrees including environmental horticulture, natural resource management, agriculture, and many more.

Forest Lakes is also open to the public at a cost of $24 per person for 18 holes with a cart during the week and $26 per person with a cart on the weekends.  Forest Lakes regular memberships are available at a cost of $95 per month. For golfers 60 and over and ABAC students, the cost is $80 per month.  ABAC employees can join for $65 per month.