Canadian Golfers and Canadian Golf Courses Get Ready for Spring 2008 Golfing Season
Hillcrest Sports Centre
The place where the Saskatchewan Roughriders play isn’t the only place where green is the colour.
Moose Jaw’s Hillcrest is opening Friday at noon — one of the earliest times yet — on their full greens, and are the first Moose Jaw golf course to tee off this season. While the first outdoor swings of the year are often done with mittens, it looks like this week’s weather is going to include snow in the forecast.
“I always say weather permitting, but it looks okay,” said club pro Al Cotter, understating the overall balminess of the season. The relatively nice spring has led to the course being officially ready to go in very good time.
“I think it was a good weather winter in terms of lots of snow cover,” said Cotter. “And I’m not the technical guy, but the greens just wintered well. Some of the older greens here, like 7, 11, 9, really wintered nicely.”
The greens are only one of the reasons the course opens early.
“Our superintendent is pro-active, and understanding when the weather’s reasonable and the course is dry enough to play,” Cotter said. “He wants people out here, and he wants to get going.”
Lynbrook Golf Course
Shawn Abramsen is trying to make sure people get an early start on the fun at the Lynbrook Golf Course.
Abramsen, the new club manager at the Lynbrook, is hoping golfers can tee off April 15 on full greens. He said those greens have completely recovered from two years ago.
The course may not have changed any of its layout this season, but it has brought in a different kind of atmosphere. There’s a new kitchen staff, and a new focus on the different aspects of a golf day out.
“We’re an entry-level golf course for beginners,” said Abramsen. “It’s a fun atmosphere and so forth, where the Hillcrest is . . . not catering to that market and we are. They’re catering to a more upscale-type atmosphere, and that’s not what we’re targeting.”
The only thing they want to compete with against every other golf course, is being what Abramsen calls a “prime choice for golfing entertainment in Saskatchewan.”
Deer Ridge Golf and Country Club
Players who love the unique challenge of Moose Jaw’s par-three golf course won’t be disappointed this year.
There are no major changes to this year’s schedule at Deer Ridge, located on the Manitoba Expressway. And chances are they’ll be able to see that for themselves very soon
“We’re hoping for the middle of next week,” said Deer Ridge manager Doug Corrin. “The range is open noon to seven (p.m.) and we’re hoping to open nine holes Wednesday or Thursday next week and then the other nine will follow pretty quick after that.”
With plenty of foliage, a river and not-too-large greens, Deer Ridge is a real test for peoples’ short games without being too demanding on length off the tee. As such, Deer Ridge has become a popular place for tournaments and family gatherings.
This year, as in years past, will have the CNIB tournament in August, the Valleyview tournament at the end of June and a fair amount of the rest of the summer will have various tournaments.
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