Warrnambool Golf Club welcomes eager players back after COVID-19 ban.

Long-time club professional Craig Bonney, who has worked at the club for 21 years, said Saturday's competition booked out in 15 minutes.

It usually takes seven days.

More than 160 players will test themselves in the competition while an additional 30 will play socially in the afternoon.

"We're only doing it off one tee the next few weeks - it does limit your field a little bit," Bonney said.

"Booking is a little bit tighter to get on but it was mad yesterday."

Bonney said people started to book via an online portal on Tuesday, eager to play on Wednesday following a state government decision to allow golf courses to re-open.

Warrnambool, which has social distancing measures in place, attracted 120 players for its first day back.

"It's been mad. We're only doing members only, so we're not letting any guests on," he said.

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"We've been closed for seven weeks so the members are champing at the bit so we're obviously prioritising for them to get them back playing.

"Once things relax then we'll allow visitors to play."

Bonney said it was a relief to be back at work, mixing with people again.

"It's been tough for everyone. It's just good to get back and start and hopefully we keep going," he said.

"We've been closed for six weeks and that's been interesting, to say the least.

"It was pretty stressful the first few weeks, trying to work out your staff, and you're stressed for them.

"But once the JobKeeper thing came in with the government that was good."

Bonney said he'd been "popping in and doing a lot of cleaning up" to prepare for the pro shop's re-opening.

"The shop is looking very good and I have got rid of a lot of different stuff, got rid of some old clubs for the Salvation Army," he said.

"They were pretty happy."

Bonney is unsure if golfers' eagerness to get back on course will correlate with a rise in sales at the shop.

"It is really hard to know. It depends with people's jobs, whether they've kept jobs," he said.

"A lot of people are still out of work so income is tight and golf is a luxury item. A lot of other states have still been open with golf and a lot of the companies I have talked to and the reps have been saying it's been really quiet.

"It is really just the essentials - balls, gloves and tees - that have been selling but not much else. But it will get better. It will be a bit slow but once restrictions ease and people start feeling more comfortable moving around (it will improve)."

For Bonney, golf's return is about more than the game itself.

"I've missed the people, talking to people, that's what I do," he said.

"I have missed that social aspect. It's like you're part of a family and you miss that big time."

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