Cold Golfers Get Warm Reception at Shennecossett

It was 17 degrees out Thursday morning, and Jeffrey Dorr's thoughts were focused on golf.

"It was 14 (degrees) when I left my house," said Dorr, the assistant pro at Groton's Shennecossett Golf Course. "With the wind it felt like 2 . . ."

The phone has been ringing steadily since Wednesday, when course officials announced to their customers that they are indeed, open.

"We sent out an electronic sonic boom," said Eric Morrison, superintendent of the course. "We posted an announcement on our website. We posted one on CTGolf.com. And we sent notice to a database of about 4,000 people who have given us their e-mail addresses."

"Saturday morning is already full," Dorr said.

Shennecossett is a public course. Officials said they have not yet had a run on the pro shop, but that can be expected soon. Dorr said everyone will pick up the staples - balls, tees and gloves.

"But they'll also come in to look at new clubs," said Golf Pro Todd Goodhue. "They've seen them at demonstrations and in the golf magazines, but they haven't held them in their hands yet."

Another sport, baseball, is on prominent display in the pro shop, where golf-style shirts, sweaters and other clothing bearing Red Sox and Yankees logos vie for space on racks along the northern wall.

"We have more Red Sox items in stock, but that's just because Eric is always buying the Yankees' stuff," Dorr said.

Morrison said the shop theoretically can stay open year-round in mild winters without a lot of snow.

Also out on duty Thursday was Morrison's Border Collie, "Blue".

"She has been trained to chase the Canada geese away," he said, referring to the visitors who often leave unsightly deposits on golf courses. "The native birds know to stay away because of her."