Americans will finally be able to play at the Aroostook Valley Country Club in Fort Fairfield and Four Falls, New Brunswick, beginning on Thursday, when the course opens for the season.
But they’ll have to go to Canada first.
Americans haven’t been able to play on the course since July 2020, when the Canadian government told Aroostook Valley Country Club golf pro and manager Steve Leitch that Americans were barred due to the border closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The parking lot and the pro shop are in Fort Fairfield but the clubhouse and course itself are in New Brunswick, making the country club a surprising victim of COVID-19 restrictions at a time when golf courses throughout the state saw a surge of interest.
This is the first time American golfers will be able to play on the highly regarded 18-hole course since the border between the two countries reopened in November. But to do so, Americans must complete all the steps required of any traveler attempting to enter Canada.
The country club’s website has outlined the steps necessary for Americans to play the course, beginning with passing through a Canada Border Services Agency port of entry.
Americans must complete ArriveCAN, a free mobile app, within 72 hours before entering Canada at a port of entry. It is mandatory, and golfers must fill it out for each trip to Canada.
Americans must also have a passport and proof of COVID-19 vaccination, among other criteria required by the Canada Border Services Agency.
Immigration and customs processing will also be part of the process.
Following their round, Americans must go through a designated U.S. port of entry to return home.
“It’s not ideal but it’s a start. It’s positive. It has been two years since Americans have been able to play the course,” Lietch said.
He estimates it will add 20 minutes to the trip each way for golfers to go through the ports of entry, so he doesn’t know how many Americans will be willing to spend the extra time and meet the criteria.
He doesn’t expect a large throng to return right away.
“We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to come up with some other solutions.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the membership was roughly half Canadians and half Americans.
Last spring, he said the club had 90 Canadian members. It also receives subsidies from the Canadian government, which helped keep it open.
Unable to access the Aroostook Valley Country Club, American members joined other clubs in the U.S. and several courses in Aroostook County benefitted from the situation.
Leitch said the golfers may decide to remain members of those courses and avoid the regulations attached to returning to the Aroostook Valley Country Club.
He said the course wintered well and is in excellent condition for Thursday’s opening.