After a winter that didn’t seem to want to end, spring and its warm weather is finally upon Barrhead. For golf enthusiasts, this is wonderful news.
There wasn’t a cloud in the sky when the Barrhead Golf Club opened its doors to the public Monday, May 6. The club saw high traffic on day one of the season, as eager golfers teed off in a sunny 31 degrees.
For this time of year, club manager Danny Grant said the greens are in perfect condition. Though there was some damage last spring, this time around the course has endured the winter and come out unscathed.
“It’s shaping up to be a really good year condition wise,” said Grant. “Because our window is so small it’s imperative that you get off to a good start.”
Normally the course sees between 21-24,000 rounds of golf played during the season. Unfortunately the past two years have not seen as much traffic, with only about 19,000 rounds played in 2012.
“Last year it was a bit of a late start. We had some difficulties with the course condition,” said Grant. “Two years ago was very, very wet. I think we had almost 30 inches of rain.”
But, Grant has positive thoughts for the 2013 golfing season, and hopes to see numbers back up between 21-22,000. The club opened a little later than usual, but is already off to a better start after the opening week.
Now all the 6650-yard course needs is good weather.
“If the course loses a weekend to rain it has a pretty severe impact on the operation,” said Grant. “The weekend is when people come up from the city. During the week it’s a lot quieter here. We hope it doesn’t rain on any of the weekends, to be quite honest.”
Since the course opened in 1990, the Barrhead Golf Club has upheld a good reputation in the golfing community. As a resort-styled course in the middle of a small town, the renowned 18-hole course draws in golfers from around the province.
“When I moved here and told people I was from Barrhead, the first thing out of their mouth would be what a wonderful golf course we have,” said Grant. “Everybody knows Barrhead for it’s golf course.”
The property itself makes this championship course a special one. With a balanced combination of open and treed areas, natural elevation, and esthetics around the Paddle River that winds through the course, no two holes are exactly alike.
Because of the strategic layout of each hole, Grant said the course is probably more suited to golfers who aren’t just beginning. However that doesn’t necessarily limit the experience to those with decades of golfing under their belt. With multiple tee boxes, the course is for anyone with a love for the sport.
“There’s a few tricky holes,” said Grant. “But, because we’ve got three tee boxes, even a novice could come out and have a pretty good time.”
Grant said with so much competition out there now, it’s hard getting good value for your dollar. Golf is not inexpensive by any means, but the Barrhead Golf Club has kept their rates in check for the past eight to 10 years.
“The price is exceptional for the quality of the golf course,” he said. “Generally our best advertising is word of mouth through repeat business.”
In addition to affordability, many flock to the course for the peace and quiet.
In bigger areas like Edmonton the pace of play or overcrowding of the course can become aggravating, whereas in a smaller centre like Barrhead the pace is generally more relaxed.
This year there are about 20 significant events at the course, including Ladies Open, Men’s Open, Junior Open, and Senior Open. The club also caters to a lot of corporate tournaments, whether they’re coming to Barrhead from the city or locally.
Some of the biggest events are the Oil Men’s Tournament on May 26, Oil Ladies Tournament on June 1, Couple’s Tournament on July 1, and the Men’s Open on Sept. long weekend.
In addition to the 18-hole course, the club also has a licensed clubhouse, pro shop with the latest equipment, apparel and accessories, driving range, and RV parking.
For more information on the course, visit www.golfbarrhead.com.
