Despite the season, players on courses

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Just because there’s a nip in the air, does not mean local golfers have gone into hibernation for the winter.

Lakeshore Country Club and Madisonville Golf and Country Club keep their doors open throughout the year and when the sun shines its brightest during the colder months players make their way to the respective courses to take full advantage of the unusual warmth.

Scotty Frederick runs Scotty’s Pro Shop at Lakeshore and has noticed a magic number that determines how busy his day will be.

“If the weather is in the 50s, we have players,” he said. “If it’s below 50, we don’t.”

For other golfers, the threshold for withstanding cold is higher.

“We had a guy from Wisconsin the other day, it was windy and cold,” Madisonville G&CC owner Jeff Howerton said. “He probably thought it was real nice out. It was about 47 degrees. He’s probably used to worse weather, so he took advantage of it.”

Approximately 50 golfers made use of the Lakeshore grounds on Sunday thanks to pleasant weather.

Both courses operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but between the hours 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. are the busiest because it is the typical warmest part of the day. During a heavy frost, the course may not be playable until 10 a.m., Howerton said.

At Madisonville, Howerton said a lot of members try to play a leisurely nine holes in the afternoon, but Frederick noticed at Lakeshore a lot of golfers still try to get a full round of 18 holes.

The temperatures are not the sole factor keeping folks away from the game though.

“The main thing in the winter time is people have other plans,” Howerton said. “If they have kids, they’re probably playing ABA or soccer indoor, so most of the time, even though it does get nice, they have other plans. They’re not really planning on playing golf.”

Golfers who have not visited Lakeshore since the summer will also notice a difference in the characteristics of the course’s grass.

“The Bermuda has already gone dormant and the greens are actually better now than they were in the summer,” Frederick said.

Conditions may not be ideal, but there’s a chance that keeping sharp while others stash their clubs in the garage could pay off once the cold lifts.

“It keeps the club feeling good in your hands over the winter, playing a lot,” Howerton said. “So when the spring time comes, it doesn’t feel like such a foreign object in your hands.”

With fewer individuals on the course individual play can be faster and both clubs offer reduced rates as well during the winter to encourage patrons to break out the sticks.

Maintenance crews also use the slower season to make improvements. Howerton said his workers will be trimming trees, working on irrigation and installing new drainage in the bunkers.

In Scotty’s Pro Shop, Frederick said this time is one that individuals use to visit and buy Christmas gifts.

“Golf bags are always a good item for Christmas and of course clubs are a big item too,” he said.

Although football season is ending and basketball beginning, the most avid of local golfers always have the game on their minds no matter the time of year.