What better way to spend your retirement than playing golf!
If you’re navigating the majestic Barrhead Golf Course, life surely cannot get much better.
Two people who can testify to this are retirees Judy Schaffrick and C.J. Bennett, who played the 18-hole championship course last Thursday afternoon.
Enjoyment was written on their faces. Both say they have earned their days in the sun after a lifetime of hard work.
“It’s wonderful being out here,” said Judy. “Of course, it’s a great course that should make Barrhead proud.”
A few holes away Garry Swan was lining up a putt. After sinking it, he paid tribute to the club staff.
“The course has wintered well,” said Swan. “The superintendent always does a good job.”
Swan said a little bit of heat and water would return the course to its absolute pristine best after the ravages of winter.
The course opened at noon on Monday, April 28 – a week earlier than last year. About 100 golfers turned up.
“It has been picking up speed all week,” said general manager and head pro Danny Grant last Thursday. “Of course, it all depends on Mother Nature.”
“We are excited to be open,” he added. “It seems like we’ve been through a very long winter.”
What Schaffrick, Bennett, Swan and other players have found is a golf course and recreation area that is undergoing major improvements. These include:
• Greatly expanding the driving range and removing the “camel’s back” in the middle of it;
• Creating a water hazard on the 9th, turning it into one of the most challenging holes; and
• Refurbishing the campground so it now boasts 25 powered stalls. A $13,000 Alberta 55-plus Games legacy grant has helped pay for the upgrade.
Much of the work has been possible only through the donations and effort of club volunteers. It reflects the club’s budget-conscious approach to everything.
Another big improvement has been the addition of 36 new champagne gold golf carts.
“Fifty per cent of the power fleet is new,” said Grant. “The feedback has been very good.”
Grant said he had not been out on the course a lot, but his impression was it had survived the winter well.
His opinion was endorsed by other golfers, who say Barrhead’s course compares favourably with those in the city.
“The response I’ve been getting has been excellent,” Grant said.
As he was speaking Eric Toivonen came into the clubhouse, fresh from his third round of the week.
Toivonen was full of praise for the greens.
One of the challenges facing staff is the amount of water on the course. As ever, they are praying that Mother Nature lends a helping hand, producing the right balance of heat and moisture.
For people seeking to iron out kinks in their game after the winter layoff the reopening of the driving range will be extremely welcome. Toivonen is certainly looking forward to that day.
Grant said – weather permitting – the reopening could occur anytime from late June to mid-July after the seeding process has been carried out.
At the moment the range resembles a ploughed field.
“We used to have a camel back in the middle of the range, which kicked balls, left, right and everywhere,” said Grant. “A lot of range balls would get lost.
“It really wasn’t the best driving range for a facility of this calibre. The new range will be vast.”
Grant estimated the range will be 30 per cent wider.
“In the southwest corner the settling pond was filled in to expand the hitting areas,” he said.
Grant said the opening would coincide with the unveiling of the new 9th hole.
“As you will see, the settling pond on the range has been moved to the ninth, which adds a whole new water feature to it,” he said. “We are also putting in a new tee box that will force you to shoot over the water.
“It changes the dynamic of the hole. The ninth hole was traditionally a make-up hole, but now it has become one of the toughest ones.”
Many players pay tribute to the club superintendent for his efforts in maintaining the course. If they witness even greater attention to detail this year, the reason probably stems from the superintendent’s recent visit to Augusta for the Masters.
It meant, said Grant, he returned in a highly critical frame of mind.
“You have to keep in mind Augusta is immaculate,” said Grant. “Every piece of grass is perfect. Our superintendent has that fresh in his mind. That’s the standard he wants for this course.”
Turning to the club’s recreation area, Grant said the campground had originally featured 14 unserviced stalls.
Through aggressive volunteer work and generous cash donations, a complete refurbishment had taken place, resulting in 25 powered stalls.
“Demand for it has been outstanding,” said Grant. “I think people appreciate what we have done there.”
He said he expected the campground to be functional by the long May weekend.
“We have a very aggressive agenda on keeping capital improvements through the year,” said Grant.
“There have been significant changes this year and I reckon volunteers have put in close to 2,000 man hours of work. A few of our members have also donated heavy equipment.”
Grant said volunteers – who are members and directors – outnumbered club staff.
“I would like to say a big thank you to volunteers,” he said. “Their spirit is contagious. I haven’t seen such camaraderie around here since the course was built.
“Anybody coming back to Barrhead is going to notice a lot of changes at the club.”
