By TERRY PUGH
With double-digit temperatures predicted for the last week of April and early May, area golfers are chomping at the bit to get out on the links.
They won’t have long to wait.
Valley Regional Park Golf Club in Rosthern is already taking bookings for opening day on Friday, April 25; while the driving range at Legends Golf Club in Warman is slated to open on Thursday, April 24. The 18-hole course at the Legends is scheduled to open a week later on Thursday, May 1 for members, and Friday, May 2 for the public.
The general managers of both clubs are expecting plenty of business.
“We started taking bookings on Monday, April 21,” said Valley Regional Park Golf Club General Manager Conner McGill. “There’s been a lot of calls. People are excited now that the weather has warmed up. It’s going to be a busy opening weekend.”
McGill said the 18-hole course appears to have weathered well over the winter.
“The grounds superintendent is happy, so that’s a good sign,” said McGill in an interview on Tuesday, April 22. “Right now we have a couple of holes that are a bit wet, but the pumps are running and we’ll be in good shape later this week.”
McGill said the new 8,000 square-foot clubhouse completed last year has had a big impact.
“Everyone is very impressed,” said McGill. “The old clubhouse was getting to be close to 50 years old and needed a lot of upgrades. Now with this new facility, it’s just gives golfers a much better experience.”
The Rosthern course celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, and McGill pointed out that while improvements are constantly being made, the club is staying true to its roots.
“It has quite a history,” he said. “It started as a nine-hole community golf course, and expanded to 18 holes about 25 years ago. We want to stay affordable and have a broad appeal to the public as well as to our membership.”
McGill noted many golfers take advantage of the campground at the regional park.
“Our weekends are always pretty much full,” said McGill. “A majority of the campers do play golf. That’s one of the reasons why we want to stay affordable. Having a course that appeals to a wide range of golfers is important.”
LEGENDS TO OPEN SOON
The Legends Golf Club in Warman is still dealing with standing water on the course, according to General Manager Davidson Matyczuk.
“We’re aiming for a tentative opening date of May 1,” said Matyczuk in an interview April 22. “We’ll confirm the opening date once we know a little more about the condition of the greens. We’ll be taking the tarps off the greens this coming weekend.
“At this point we still have a lot of water on the course from winter melt, as well as accumulated runoff from the city of Warman. Our ponds are full, and we’re pumping to get the levels down a little bit.”
Matyczuk said the club will start taking tee times once the opening date is officially announced. But, judging from the number of phone calls received so far, it’ll be a busy season.
“We’re expecting a similar year to last year in terms of numbers of rounds,” said Matyczuk, adding the club membership is near capacity.
“We try to keep a balance between membership tournaments and public access,” said Matyczuk. “We’ve been very pleased with the membership numbers over the last several years.”
Matyczuk said the club recently updated and expanded its fleet of carts, and is continuing its popular ‘grab and go’ food and beverage service. For banquets and tournaments, the club is continuing to use the services of a caterer.
JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
One of the major events hosted by the Legends this summer will be a stop on the Golf Canada 2025 NextGen Championship series. The tournament takes place June 13, 14 and 15, and features Canada’s top young golfers.
“This is a qualifying event for the national junior championships,” said Matyczuk. “The golfers are under 19 years old, and the series opens up some avenues for competitive golfers looking to go on to university sports in Canada and the United States.”
According to Golf Canada, the NextGen Championships are a high-performance junior golf series of six tournaments across Canada, where the region’s best junior golfers compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2025 national junior championships. In addition to Warman, golf clubs hosting events in this series include Ledgeview Golf Club in Abbotsford, BC; Black Bear Ridge in Belleville, Ontario; Trestle Creek Golf Resort in Entwistle, Alberta; Rideau View Golf Club in Manotick, Ontario and Oakfield Golf and Country Club in Enfield, Nova Scotia.
OTHER COURSES
Opening dates for the nine-hole Valleyview Golf Club in Delisle, the nine-hole Pine Ridge Golf Club in Waldheim, and the nine-hole Valley Road Par 3 Golf Course in Corman Park have not yet been determined.