Athens, Ont. getting a head start on the golf season

Warmer weather means golf season is swinging into high gear across eastern Ontario. Some are making a long drive to hit the links. CTV’s Jack Richardson has mor

With temperatures in the teens over the weekend, golfers in eastern Ontario will soon be dusting off their clubs to tee off for the first time this year.

Some golf courses in the region have gotten a bit of a head start to the year, like Crooked Creek Golf Course in Athens, Ont. northwest of Brockville.

“We’re up and running, and it’s Masters weekend. So, a few people are out golfing, they’re excited,” said owner Gordon Lay.

Opening this early in the year isn’t a breeze for Lay. Making sure the course is playable after a winter of heavy snow poses several challenges, he says.

“The start of the year is hard,” he said. “We start with verticutting and aerating greens, getting them cleaned up, picking up branches from the wintertime, fixing stuff, fixing equipment and things like that.”

For a smaller course like Crooked Creek, that extra effort is worth it, he says.

After receiving a bit less snow than golf courses in the Ottawa area, golfers from the nation’s capital that are eager to start playing might be willing to make more of a journey to play.

Taking advantage of that window is critical, Lay said.

“Everybody’s anxious to get out there and get golfing, and you want to present a pretty reasonable product for them. So, we work hard early in the year for sure,” he said.

On Sunday, Lynne Carriere and her husband made the hour and a half drive from Orléans to play their first round of the year.

“This is the first course we found this week open up for us,” she said.