It’s been a long month for Shawn Greenbird.
The superintendent of the Indian Hills Golf Club in Lambton Shores is used to busy mornings, with regular duffers checking in for their tee-times.
Instead, the course has been empty since mid-June.
That’s when geysers of natural gas started bubbling up from a pond on course grounds.
Although there was no imminent danger, the discovery prompted the Sarnia-area community to declare a state of emergency.
Since then, tests of the gas and the area around it have been ongoing.
While the tests will continue, officials have given the OK for the course to reopen its front nine to the public – which will happen on Saturday.
“I’m glad … we can get back to playing golf,” Greenbird said Friday.
“I miss my members. It’s lonely out there.”
More holes may open in the near future – although holes 10, 11 and 17 will likely remain off-limits, as they’re at the epicentre of the phenomenon.
Environmental engineers brought in to inspect the gas say they’ve determined it to be a combination of methane, butane and ethane gases.
“This is a really fascinating project,” said Jenny Gough.
The geysers stopped on their own. Testing will continue, to try and determine exactly what is going on under the surface of the golf course.
The course is owned by the Chippewas of the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, whose chief estimates a loss of $10,000 for every day the course has been closed.
He hopes the federal and provincial governments will help cover some of the cleanup costs.
“Most of the people who came here have never seen anything like this before, anywhere,” Chief Tom Bressette said.
Friday, the golf course was reopened for people who responded when the geysers first gushed to play for free.
A celebratory pig roast also took place.
