Greater Utica Chamber cancels 2020 Choo Choo Open due to COVID-19

UTICA, N.Y. — The Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce announced it has canceled the 20th edition of its annual Choo Choo Open Golf Tournament, which had been scheduled for Friday, Aug. 21 at Thendara Golf Club, near Old Forge.

The chamber said it was “a difficult decision” taken amid the coronavirus pandemic in “consideration for the health and safety of all participants, volunteers, and staff.”

The Choo Choo Open is “a time-honored, signature tradition of the Chamber and one of the area’s most unique summer events,” the chamber contends. Golfers ride the Adirondack Scenic Railroad from Utica to Thendara to participate in a full day of golf and networking at Thendara Golf Club complete with refreshments, meals, raffles, and giveaways. The day wraps up with a train ride back to Utica.

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The Greater Utica Chamber said it will commemorate it 20th anniversary at next year’s tournament, scheduled for Aug. 20, 2021. Registration for the 2021 event will open next spring.

Eric Reinhardt: