Local courses set to open next week
The long wait for golfers is almost over.
Local 18-hole courses plan on opening next week, an itinerary that include the planned April 26 opening day for Abercrombie Golf & Country Club.
“That’s the word right now, as long the as the weather forecast is good,” said superintendent Erik MacPherson, who added that with the exception of possible rain on Saturday, the forecast shows that some good drying weather is coming over the next week or so.
“If I had to put a number on it, I’d say there’s a 90 per cent chance we’ll reach our target.”
MacPherson said the course is in good shape for this time of year, which is not quite up to the standard set in the spring of 2016, although he stated that last year’s superior course conditions in the early spring might not be experienced again “for another 20 years.”
Abercrombie G&CC will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2019.
After the harsh winter of 2015 hit the course hard and caused significant damage to some of the greens, the grounds crew took advantage of that opportunity to re-seed the greens with bent grass, which is considered sturdier for the winter climate in this region.
“We used an aggressive overseeding program with bent grass,” MacPherson explained. “It handles the weather better than the blue grass.”
He said the club won’t need to use temporary greens or tee boxes when the season begins, although a few of the holes will have tee markers move up to allow the back tees a few more days to get in shape.
When reached by phone on Tuesday, an employee at Glen Lovat said the Fraser’s Mountain course has a tentative opening date of April 25, depending on the weather.
Eagle’s Chance Par 3 Course & Driving Range, located in Mount William, opened its driving range on April 8, while the nine-hole, par-three course itself began operation this past weekend, with all nine greens in play.