Advertisement 1

Wet weekend delays golf season

Article content

Tracey Boerkamp can't help but laugh.

As the owner of Springview Farm Golf Course near Waterford, Boerkamp could only watch as the facility was covered in freezing rain both Saturday and Sunday. At one point he took a picture of a flagstick that was frozen solid.

“(Winter is) definitely dragging,” Boerkamp said Monday. “This kind of snow isn't bad on the fairways and greens ... it's draining nice and slow, everything is washing off and draining well so there's no puddles and stuff, but we've got to get rid of this ice.”

Some area facilities like Delhi Golf and Country Club and Springview Farm opened earlier this month, while others opted to wait out the winter-like conditions.

Instead of putts falling this weekend, it was pellets of ice, bringing to an end any hopes of a fast start to the 2018 season.

“We were thinking of opening last Friday, but this weather came in and now we're looking at possibly not until the 27th of April,” said Dwight Myers, tournament coordinator at The Greens at Renton.

“I'm looking out right now and the course is covered in water and ice, so it's going to take a little more than the bit of rain we're getting now and a bit of warm weather to get rid of all that.”

Staff members of The Greens had been out on the course clearing sticks and debris leading up to this weekend, but after heavy winds and rain they'll have to head right back out again once, Myers said.

“Like any other golf course we wish to heck we were open now,” he said.

The Greens could've risked opening earlier this month – which would be in line with past years – but carts wouldn't have been available, which isn't a desired option in 2018.

“This day and age, people coming out and wanting to golf, I would say 80 per cent want carts,” said Myers.

To see an abundance of wet and dreary weather to kick off the golfing season isn't out of the norm.

“We always lose a little bit of time in April because of bad weather for like a week,” Boerkamp said.

There is good news for area golfers. A string of sunny and warm weather is scheduled to begin Wednesday and save for Thursday is expected to last through the weekend.

“By the way the weather looks, Thursday or Friday for sure we'll be (back) open,” Boerkamp said. “As soon as the grass is ready to go we'll be open again.”

jrobinson@postmedia.com

 

Article content
Advertisement 2
Advertisement
Article content
Article content
Latest National Stories
    News Near Tillsonburg
      This Week in Flyers