In the peak of the summertime in Westlock, the local golf course becomes a hub of activity — especially leading up to the Men’s and Ladies’ Open tournaments.
The annual Men’s Open runs the August long weekend, from Aug. 2-4, while the Ladies’ Open will run the following weekend, Aug. 9-10.
Course pro Kevin Lynes said the events are a great time for all golfers, regardless of your skill level — rookies don’t need to worry about competing with the pros.
“If you’ve got a 20 handicap, you’ll be matched up with others with a similar handicap,” he said.
With luck, he said the registration numbers will be in line with what they’ve had in previous years or even higher. For the Men’s Open, there are usually about 80 or 90 golfers from in the area and beyond.
“It’s up and down,” he said. “We’ve had as many as 110.”
Turnout is typically not as strong for the Ladies’ Open, with only about 30 who took part last year — Lynes noted he hopes for a stronger turnout this year.
For both events, though, the format is more or less the same. There is a complementary practice round on the Friday prior to the tournament, followed by three days of golf for the men and two days for the ladies.
On top of the tournament itself, there are several extra contests such as a scramble, a horse race and a closest-to-the-pin competition.
“There’s lots of fun events, and a good stake supper,” Lynes said.
While the course sometimes hosts qualifying events for the higher-level tournaments in Alberta, these two weekends will be open to everyone without the pressure of high-level competition.
The registration deadline for the Men’s Open is Thursday, July 31, and it costs $140 for members and $190 for non-members. The registration for the Ladies’ Open is Aug. 7, and it costs $80 for members and $120 for non-members.
