Eau Claire golfers brave conditions for opening day

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. -- Donna Schultz and Dareena Mead pride themselves on being the last golfers on the green in the fall and the first ones out in the spring.

So it was no surprise to find the two Eau Claire residents wielding golf bags and trotting from hole to hole at Hickory Hills Golf Course on Thursday, the course's official opening day of this season.

Despite gray skies and winds in excess of 20 mph, the duo, who have played together for about five years, were happy to take advantage of the open course and Thursday's high of 58 degrees.

"There's nothing like a good game of golf," Schultz said.

Peter Diedrick and Matt Haapala spent Wednesday at a driving range and opted for the full-course experience Thursday after reading on Facebook that Hickory Hills, south of Eau Claire along Highway 93, was open.

Diedrick said the countdown to golf kicks off once the snow begins to melt. But he wasn't holding out hope for the warm streak to continue.

"(The weather) still has a snowstorm up its sleeve," he predicted.

Jim Buyze is head golf professional for Wild Ridge and Mill Run golf courses on Eau Claire's west side. He said those courses are likely to be open for play today starting at 10 or 11 a.m. Likewise, Princeton Valley Golf Course on the city's north side expects to open today or Saturday.

"Overall, it's very good," Buyze said of course conditions. "But we do have some snow in the bunkers and some areas where the frost hasn't completely left the ground."

Hickory Hills manager Megan Norby said her course and others opening in upcoming days likely will experience a large turnout, given the warm conditions. This year's earlier opening date is welcome after last year's harsh winter and spring meant the Hickory Hills course and others didn't open until April 10 or later.

While Princeton Valley is hoping to launch its season today or Saturday, employee Shelly Schulte said the course will open once the frost is entirely out of the ground.

The private Eau Claire Golf & Country Club, located in Altoona, is postponing its season opening until both the frost and the cold weather are gone for good.

"We're trying to protect the grass for the entire season," general manager Derek Gentry said.

Similarly, operators at the Pine Meadow Golf Club par-three course on Eau Claire's south side are waiting for snow to melt off a few of the greens before opening. General manager Jody Anderson said it may be a few days before the course opens.

Still, Pine Meadow found a way to winter-proof the golfer experience with an indoor golf simulator that the club installed in September.

Buyze said the best course of action is to take advantage of the weather when it's here because Mother Nature's cold spells can swing well into May and even later.

"I've had it sleet on me on the Fourth of July in Wisconsin," Buyze said. "You never can tell."

This article was written by Elizabeth Dohms from The Leader-Telegram and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.