After a four-year drought the Estevan golf season will begin with a complete 18-hole course ready for play.
The TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club announced on Monday they are planning to begin accepting tee times on April 16, with both nines ready for duffers. Brian Dueck, club general manager, noted it's the first time the full course will be ready for opening day since the flood in 2011 washed out much of the course and ignited the redesign of the back nine. The new back opened up last year but wasn't ready for opening day.
"It has been four years. This will be the first year we're really back to normal. Last year, we had the latest opening date ever," said Dueck. "We didn't open the back nine until June 1 and it wasn't really ready until the middle of July. It's April 16 next week, and we're going to be opening 18 holes. We're back to normal."
He noted the new back was "raw" when they first opened the holes last year and the rough areas were particularly rough, but the holes were growing into themselves through the summer and into the fall.
"(Those holes) got a really great start. We had a fantastic growing season last year. It changed on a weekly basis," said Dueck, who added that golfers will be able to wander from the cart paths on the back this year, making "cart-path golf" look a little less tempting.
There will be some beautifying work ongoing around the clubhouse, which will include a new club drop off and staging area. The grounds crew will also be laying sod on some rough patches on Hole 7.
"It's basically some hard areas to grow grass and it just didn't have a good base," noted Dueck. "There will be a few touch up areas but it's mainly just continuing with the grow in and hopefully Mother Nature helps out with some rains at the right time. In this business we're really tied to that a lot.
"The initial look is that everything wintered well. We've allowed the grass to mature and root well," Dueck said of the back nine."
"It's all dependent on weather, but if we get the forecasted weather, we'll be open next Wednesday."
The driving range opened April 8 for golfers and will continue to be open throughout the week in the nice weather and on warmer days. Anyone may call the clubhouse to check for the availability of the range by calling 306-634-2017.
