Dawn Reid, 41, lines up a putt at Paradise Valley Golf Course on Wednesday afternoon. The course was the first to open in Alberta this year.--NEWS PHOTO KELLEN TANIGUCHI
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Golfers are already hacking up the fairways and yelling ‘fore’ at one Medicine Hat golf course, while the rest prepare to open for the 2021 season.
Paradise Valley Golf Course, the city’s par-3 club, has been open to the public since March 6.
“We’re actually the first golf course to open in Alberta, so that was exciting,” said general manager Kim Bronson. “Everyone’s happy to be out and it’s just a great way to start the season.”
Bronson added the course has been busy and the tee sheet has been filling up since they opened.
“We’ve seen a lot of golfers that we don’t usually see because other golf courses aren’t open and everyone just seems to be happy to get out of their house.”
Dawn Reid and Dave Fitzhenry were just two of many golfers hitting the fairways at Paradise Valley on Wednesday afternoon. Reid said it was the first game of the year for them, and they are on the course earlier than she’s used to, since she’s from Saskatchewan.
“We just moved here from Kindersley a month ago and the courses there are probably another month, month and a half away from opening. It’s nice to get out early,” she said.
Fitzhenry says they plan to golf at most courses in the Hat this year, starting with Desert Blume Golf Course – which opens Friday.
The driving range at Desert Blume is already open, and it’s not the only course opening its greens Friday.
Connaught Golf Club will open next Friday, March 26, while access to the range begins today at 11 a.m.
Golfers can also get some swings in Friday at Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club’s driving range, but they also won’t be able to tee off on the course until the following Friday.
On March 27, Cottonwood Coulee Golf Course plans to be fully functioning with both its driving range and course open, depending on weather.
The News reached out to Riverview Golf Club in Redcliff but did not receive a response by press time.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story has Connaught’s opening slated for this Friday. The course will not be opening until next Friday, March 26.
