Golfers are springing into summer with earlier than expected tee times on the local links.
The March 31 opening for the Sandpiper Golf & County Club on permanent greens was a course record.
“It’s the earliest we have ever opened,” said Kevin Easthope, head golf professional/general manager at the Meadowview Drive facility. “The course wintered very well. Greens are perfect. John Boyle, the course superintendent, and his team over the past three years has taken the course to the best conditions in 24 years.”
The kids’ course will also be ready in the middle of April and is free to play with a food bank donation.
Sandpiper will also run its popular junior golf camps, starting the last weekend in May.
The Sandpiper is situated along the Sturgeon River and features water on 17 of the 18 holes and strategically placed bunkers on the par-72 layout. Firm, fast greens are a course trademark. The front nine plays more like a links style course and the back nine is cut out of trees. It plays 6,700 yards from the back trees and 5,600 yards from the forward trees.
“We look forward to another great season at Sandpiper with some of the best greens in Edmonton and area,” Easthope said.
To book tee times, visit www.countryclubtour.com or call 780-408-8687.
Sandpiper also has a new app to download for season specials.
The Twin Willows Golf Club also opened on permanent greens March 31, the earliest since the front nine was unveiled in 1965.
“I don’t recall the conditions being this advanced this early in the season,” said superintendent Ed Sims. “The course wintered extremely well.”
Tee times start at sunrise but frost delays are the norm in the spring.
Call 780-447-2934 or visit www.twinwillowsgolf.com for tee times.
Twin Willows, named after the two original trees on the property that still stand in the middle of the No. 9 fairway, is a par-72 course with 45 bunkers and eight water hazards.
The front nine consists of large tree lined fairways and the back nine opened on Aug. 2, 2003.
Sims dismissed rumors the course, located in northwest Edmonton at 14110-156 St., was being sold for development.
“We seem to hear that almost every day.”
The Sturgeon Valley Golf & Country Club had the back nine scheduled to open Tuesday and all 18 holes should be up and running by Friday.
“The course wintered very well and we are excited to be open so early this year. It has been a real long time since we played golf this early in the season. It is usually towards the end of April that we get going,” said Mark Beckwith, executive professional/general manager at Sturgeon Valley.
Tee times for the par-72 course are available through www.sturgeonvalleygolfclub.com or 780-973-6700.
Memberships for 2016 are now being accepted at [email protected] or 780-973-2200.
The new head golf professional is Gary Christenson. The former head pro at Northern Bear Golf Club has more than 20 years experience in the golf industry and spent the last six seasons as head pro at the Stony Plain Golf Course.
The pro shop is fully stocked and Flight scope technology is available when it comes to club fitting.
A thriving junior program has a spring orientation meeting set for April 16 at 10 a.m.
Sturgeon Valley is located east of St. Albert in Sturgeon County and borders the Sturgeon river on the northwest and Sturgeon Road on the southeast. It was established in 1960 after Frank Lieber, Harold Londry, Harold Hood, Boyce Green and William Plowman purchased 140 acres of farmland homesteaded by Angus Kennedy on March 2 and by late July members were able to play on the new fairways and temporary greens. Jack Myler, then the head of Edmonton Parks and Recreation, was responsible for the design of the course.
The J.R. Golf Course is also open on permanent greens.
“The course wintered well and the greens are in excellent shape,” said manager Joan Reyda. “It’s super to be open the beginning of April. It’s definitely in the top three or four years for early openings in our history.”
The 18-hole, par-71 track on Meadowview Drive has been fixture in the area since 1984 after construction started in 1971.
This year J.R. is taking bookings for tee times on Fridays, which used to be drop-in only, and the rate of $20 stays the same.
A new ladies’ tee box on No. 3 and a new men's tee box on No. 8 were built last fall and will be available once they’re ready to go.
Call 780-459-8735 to reserve a tee time. Online reservations are not available.
Visit www.jrgolfcourse.ca for more information.
The Cardiff Golf & Country Club plans to swing into the season Friday or Saturday on permanent greens.
The 18-hole, par-72 course was built on one of Alberta's first underground coal mines.
Tee time information is available through www.cardiffgolfclub.ca or 780-939-6666.
The Terra Pines Golf & Country Club is also open for business.
The Gateway to the North on Highway 2 is suitable for all levels of golfers.
Call 780-458-1122 or visit www.terraepines.com for tee times on the 18-hole, par-72 course.
