Photo by Mild Du Golfers learn the basics of technique during adult golf lessons at the Marshall Golf Club in July. The golf club has seen a growth in both its membership and the number of visitors playing over the past two years, said pro shop manager Dylan Scherff. Marshall Golf Club members voted to open golf privileges to non-members in 2021.

MARSHALL — Members of the Marshall Golf Club wanted more people to see their course. Their decision, in April 2021, was to open up golf privileges to non-members and residents of Marshall.

Now, over a year later, there’s a noticeable difference at the golf course, said pro shop manager Dylan Scherff.

“We’ve definitely gotten more people out on the golf course playing,” Scherff said.

It used to be that things could be quiet by 7 p.m. on a Wednesday, he said. Now, it can sometimes be hard to get a tee time.

The Marshall Golf Club is semi-private, offering memberships and league nights. Scherff said Tuesdays and Thursdays are league days at the club, but they now get plenty of calls about tee times on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

One way to see the change in the number of visitors at the Marshall Golf Club was by looking at the green fees collected over the past couple of years.

“Green fees are up from what they have been in previous years,” Scherff said Monday. In 2020, the Marshall Golf Club brought in about $2,000 in green fees. “We’ve already passed that this year.”

In 2021, the golf club received $3,456 in green fees, and so far this year they were already at $2,200, only three months into the season, Scherff said.

Membership at the Marshall Golf Club has also grown, from 295 to 315, he said.

The COVID pandemic has also factored in on the popularity of golf over the past couple of years, Scherff said. People were looking for outdoor forms of recreation. But at the same time, opening Marshall Golf Club to public golfers was also a benefit, he said.

Scherff said he’s heard good feedback from golfers who visit the Marshall course. “They’re definitely impressed,” he said.

Having more people come to the Marshall Golf Club has also been positive for the Fairway Restaurant and booking events and receptions, Scherff said. A lot more people are coming to eat at the Fairway after having the chance to check it out, he said. Visitors also have an opportunity to learn that they can hold events there.

“A lot of people don’t realize we have events,” he said.