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Warmer weather has local golf courses optimistic

Apr 18, 2018 | 2:00 PM

Golfers at the North Battleford Golf and Country Club would normally be hitting the links already by this time in April, but due to below-average temperatures so far this month, the local course isn’t open yet and there is no timeframe for when it will be.

According to Dana Johnson, the director of golf at North Battleford Golf and Country Club, the course usually opens for play around April 15. He said even if the snow melts entirely over the next few days, the course may not be playable for some time.

“We still have to clean off the tarps and get the greens cleaned. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done,” Johnson said.

Johnson said course employees need to wait until they are confident the last of the snow has fallen and then blow the top snow off the tarps still covering the greens. 

As for the financial impact the weather could have on the course this season, Johnson said it is impossible to tell right now. He said a late opening can be overcome by great weather the rest of spring, summer and into fall, but this isn’t a great start.

Last year the course was open earlier than normal for golfers on April 12, Johnson said, but bad weather in May hurt business.

This will be the latest the course has opened for play in over 10 years, Johnson added.

The weather won’t have as big an impart north of the city at the golf course at Jackfish Lodge. General manager of the lodge, Kyle Kellgren, said due to low population in the area before summer hits, the course never opens before May 1. He said as long as the snow melts in the next couple of weeks, the course should open on time with no problems.

“We are more of a resort property which doesn’t see much traffic outside of the cabin season,” Kellgren said. “We try not to open up too early because it doesn’t make sense from a business standpoint. We don’t have the membership numbers and people itching to get out on the course like North Battleford does.” 

 

greg.higgins@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @realgreghiggins