Billy Medwid tees off while Wes Greve looks on at Osoyoos Golf Club on Monday. Both are from Osoyoos. The course opened last Friday. (Richard McGuire photo)
If you see someone smiling for no apparent reason this week, it’s likely because he or she is a golfer.
After more than 10 weeks of gloomy winter weather across the South Okanagan, where the sun didn’t shine much at all, things look much brighter now that warmer weather has arrived and golf season is officially underway in Osoyoos.
The Osoyoos Golf Club officially opened for the 2016 season last Friday and the Sonora Dunes Golf Club is also open for business.
Lee Sapach, the general manager at Osoyoos Golf Club, said although it has been rainy, dark and gloomy for much of the past three months, the good news is it hasn’t been cold.
“We didn’t freeze at all and that’s why we decided to open on Friday,” said Sapach, who worked as the head golf professional at Osoyoos Golf Club for many years before being promoted to general manager a few years ago.
“The golf course is in very good shape. It wintered well and we’re glad to be back in business.”
As has become custom, only the Desert Gold course is open for business early in the season as it takes an additional three to four weeks before the Park Meadows course is ready to play, said Sapach.
“All 18 holes on Desert Gold are ready to play and carts are allowed over the entire course,” he said. “All of the tee boxes are in good shape as are all of the greens. The course looks great.”
The Feb. 12 official opening day is one of the earliest in the past 10 years, said Sapach.
“We opened last year around the same time, but we’ve had years where we can’t open until March 1 and a couple of years where it got closer to the end of March,” he said. “It ‘s nice to be open this early because it’s been a long winter.”
The driving range and putting green are also open, as is the Greenside Grill restaurant, which features an impressive new menu and head chef, said Sapach.
Sapach is hopeful the Park Meadows course will be ready for action the first or second week in March.
The course wasn’t overly busy over the opening weekend, but that all changed Tuesday when gorgeous spring weather came our way, he said.
Osoyoos Golf Club is offering a special deal of $49 per round, complete with cart, early in the golf season.
Sonora Dunes, the nine-hole course located at the Spirit Ridge at Nk’ Mip Resort, is also open for business seven days a week.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
