Osoyoos Golf Club assistant pro Andrew Goncalves (left), and head professional Drew Bolokoski, are going to be very busy in April, as will the entire staff at the local golf club. This weekend, the annual Osoyoos Ironman event takes place this Sunday, April 12. Teams will play 27 holes of golf during the popular event. Two weeks later, the club’s biggest event, the Osoyoos Rattlesnake Men’s Open, returns with a full field of 180 golfers expected to participate. (Keith Lacey file photo)
Members at the Osoyoos Golf Club have been fortunate enough to be able to hit the links for over two months. Dozens of other golfers from across British Columbia – and many other parts of the country – will soon be joining them.
That’s because the Osoyoos Golf Club is preparing for a very busy April with two significant events.
The annual Osoyoos Men’s Ironman will take place this Sunday, April 12 with more than 100 golfers expected to participate in the unique tournament.
Numerous BCPGA professionals from across the region will also be participating in a pro event on Monday, April 13, said Drew Bolokoski, head pro.
He and assistant pro Andrew Goncalves will once again be able to test their skills against other pros from the region.
“We haven’t had the pro event following the Ironman in a few years, but we’re glad to have it back this year,” he said. “I’m expecting a good group of pros to show up and I’m really looking forward to getting out there to compete against them.”
Two weeks later during the weekend of April 25-26, the popular Rattlesnake Men’s Open hopes to have another field of 180 golfers from across B.C. and other destinations come to Osoyoos for the club’s most prestigious annual open event.
“The Rattlesnake Men’s Open attracted 180 golfers last year from all across B.C., but also several from Alberta and a few from as far away as Saskatchewan,” he said. “It’s a completely open tournament, meaning we get some professionals and a lot of top amateurs who are very low handicappers coming to our tournament.”
The Rattlesnake Men’s Open also attracts many talented golfers because it’s a qualifying event for the annual B.C. Mid-Amateur tournament later in 2015, said Bolokoski.
“You have to qualify to compete for the Order of Merit in the B.C. Mid-Amateurs and our tournament is one of several qualifying events, so a lot of the top guys from B.C. want to play in our event,” he said.
The Rattlesnake Men’s Open features a 36-hole stroke play format over two days on April 25 and 26.
“We had a full field with 180 golfers last year and I’m really expecting another full field once again this year,” said Bolokoski. “A lot of people come back to this tournament year after year because it’s such a good field and the weather is almost always beautiful.”
The cost to enter the Rattlesnake Men’s Open is $200 for non-members and $150 for members. This includes 36 holes of golf, a Saturday night dinner, light snacks on Saturday and Sunday and breakfast both days as well.
There will be prizes for the tournament winner as well as the winners of all flights, said Bolokoski.
This Sunday’s Osoyoos Ironman tournament features teams of two golfers completing 27 holes, including a nine-hole scramble, nine-hole best ball and nine hole Chapman scoring system, which features a modified alternate shot format.
It’s unfortunate that this year’s event had to be held on the same day as the final round as the Masters golf tournament – the first major of the year on the PGA tour – but organizers had very little choice this year, said Bolokoski.
“It’s one of those things where we usually hold the Ironman the first weekend in April, but we couldn’t do it this year because of the Easter long weekend and we couldn’t do it the following week with the men’s open tournament just around the corner,” he said. “We’re still hoping we can reach our target of 100 golfers and I think we will.”
Most of the competitors in the Ironman come from out of town because it’s a fun event and they once again want to visit Osoyoos to enjoy the tournament and mild spring weather, he said.
There is great support from the local business community as they provide many of the prizes that will be up for grabs during the Ironman and Rattlesnake Men’s Open, said Bolokoski.
The entry fee for the Ironman is $90 for non-members and $75 for members.
Anyone wanting to enter either tournament can contact the Osoyoos Golf Club at 250-495-7003 or go online and register at www.golfosoyoos.com.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
