Mel James of Osoyoos in past years has usually been one of the first to hit the golf course when the season opens. (Richard McGuire file photo)
In his more than 20 years of working at the Osoyoos Golf Club – first as head professional and the past several years as general manager – Lee Sapach can’t remember too many winters like 2016-17.
“It might not be the worst winter in my more than 20-plus years, but it’s right up there,” said Sapach. “It’s been a very long and cold winter, but we’re open for business and that’s what really matters.”
If the weather is normal, Osoyoos Golf Club usually opens its doors to members and green fee players during the second or third week in February and there have been many instances of opening earlier than that, said Sapach.
During his long career, he can only remember one year when the course opened later than it has this year, he said.
“There was one year where we didn’t open until the end of March,” he said. “But this would rank up there with the latest opening we’ve had in a very long time.”
Osoyoos Golf Club officially opened for the season on March 4, but the unseasonably cold and long winter weather has continued, with the exception of a couple of days.
“There’s no doubt traffic is down,” said Sapach. “We haven’t been overly busy, but we are open and hopefully the nice weather will be coming our way soon and we’ll be busy like we normally are this time of year.”
When you are in the golf course business, there is simply nothing you can do when Mother Nature doesn’t co-operate, said Sapach.
“Unfortunately, Mother Nature rules the roost,” he said. “We haven’t seen too many winters like this one, that’s for sure, but on the other hand you could look east where they are still getting pounded with snowstorms and bitter cold.”
Considering the harsh winter weather, both the Desert Gold and Park Meadows courses weathered remarkably well, he said.
“Considering how cold and long this winter has been, both courses wintered rather well,” he said. “We always have some issues with both courses after every winter and that hasn’t changed, but overall we’re in pretty good shape when you consider just how much bad weather we had over several months.”
Desert Gold is playing all 18 holes with normal greens and he expects the Park Meadows course to open before the end of the month, said Sapach.
Osoyoos Golf Club isn’t the only place that had to endure a long winter and late season opening, said Sapach.
“A local doctor who goes down South every year said he just came back from Arizona and they had the worst winter weather in his 17 years of travelling down there,” he said. “We weren’t the only ones who got hit hard.
“At the end of the day, it’s the middle of March and the golf course is open and very soon we’re going to get a lot of people complaining about how it’s too hot in Osoyoos.”
Two of the biggest events at Osoyoos Golf Club are only weeks away as the annual Ironman tournament is set to take place on Sunday, April 2, while the Osoyoos Rattlesnake Golf Tournament will take place April 28-30.
The Ironman is a one-day, two-person, best-ball, 27-hole event.
The Osoyoos Rattlesnake event attracts golfers from all over British Columbia as well as Alberta and Saskatchewan and always attracts a full field of between 160 and 180 golfers, said Sapach.
“The Rattlesnake is one of our premier events as we get a lot of golfers who want to get out for a big tournament early in the year and mix in a vacation here in Osoyoos with playing in a big tournament,” he said. “The Rattlesnake, which used to be called the Osoyoos Desert Open, has been around as long as the course has been open … we’re hoping for another big event this year.”
Anyone wishing to register for the Ironman or Rattlesnake event can sign up online at www.golfosoyoos.com.
Meanwhile, the Sonora Dunes Golf Course, located at Nk’Mip at Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos, is also open for the season.
The scenic, nine-hole course also came through the long winter in good shape, said new operations manager Jay Hendrickson.
“The greens are terrific and overall the course in great shape, especially considering how harsh a winter we’ve had and are still going through,” he said.
Sonora Dunes opened two weeks ago and the new management team he’s heading up is looking forward to a busy and successful season once the cold weather goes away and traditional South Okanagan heat and sunshine makes a much welcomed return, he said.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
