Kachur's Golf Club will be one of the first local circuits to open up. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Dust Off The Clubs

Memberships up as local golf courses approach opening day

Apr 27, 2023 | 12:00 PM

It wasn’t that long ago that there was snow on the ground and more on the way in the Prince Albert area. Spring is suddenly upon us, however, and a sport synonymous with the season is ready to begin.

With their fairways uncovered, their greens neatly manicured, and their driving ranges starting to dry out, local golf courses are preparing to open soon. Kachur’s Golf Club will be one of the first out of the gate, opening on Friday, April 28.

“It seems a little late, but the weather is just a little chilly,” said Patty Kachur, owner of Kachur’s Golf Club. “It wasn’t really about the snow this year, it was about the wetness. The ground is quite wet. But we’re in sand out here, so we’re pretty lucky we can dry up kind of quickly, and there’s not much frost in the ground.”

The bevy of construction around the golf course last season has wrapped up, and that’s another element of this season Kachur is looking forward to.

“It’s awesome, the double-lane all the way out here,” she said. “It’s going to make a big difference this year.”

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Meanwhile, at Cooke Municipal Golf Course, there’s not an exact opening date yet but one should be announced in the next couple of days. May 3 to 5 are the targeted dates right now, and the driving range is open already.

“Things are rolling,” said Drew Ryhorchuk, apprentice professional at Cooke Municipal Golf Course. “Everything looks wonderful out there. The greens are top-notch, probably the best that they have been in the last couple of years. They wintered very well.”

Many local sports groups are noting record seasons for registration, citing COVID and the long winter for people’s desire to get back to outdoor sports. That enthusiasm for the outdoors appears to extend to golf as well.

“Our memberships have gone up, and you can see it with our juniors too,” said Ryhorchuk. “Some of our programs, for example our girls in the game went from one junior last year to now I have 14 that are interested in playing, so a huge gap there. The senior folks, their numbers are rising.”

Ryhorchuk added they’re opening at more or less the same time as any other year despite the lingering winter weather and will in fact be opening about a week earlier than they did last year.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP