When Does Your Course Open?

[GolfSpy_APH]

Our Forum staff have been buzzing as several of us have courses that are sending out notices of opening dates and more. While many of us can technically golf all year round, for those in more season areas, when do your courses open up? Have you got the email with an opening date and when is your first round going to be booked? 

For those who golf year round, when is your course in the best condition and when do you have your best rounds of the season?

Looking forward to hearing all of your answers!

[OdinSnipes414]

In Wisconsin some municipal courses opened up in February for on and off walking! But my home course won’t open till the first of April or close to it! But my second fav short course is open so I might go this week sometime!

[Sonny Beach]

We are open in GA all year but the best course conditions are between April and October. Bermuda is dormant pretty much the rest of the year. We're starting to green up, it's the rainy season and the wet dormant Bermuda really challenges your patience. 

[Josh Parker]

My goat track is open year round and it all depends on the rain for when it's in it's "best" condition.  I would say in general though, now thru end of April.  

[ejgaudette]

Unsurprisingly in NH it takes a bit to get things going. Usually by mid-April things are rolling, though this year a course a bit south of here is opening tomorrow but it will be in consistent with some cold days still to come. But I might actually be able to get a round in before March is out which you just can't beat.

[Preeway]

Although most public and municipal courses are open year round, they do shut down once it starts to dip below freezing so Thanksgiving to mid March is mostly a no go unless we get a warm spell to move through. Grass in these parts tend to green up by early to mid April. The two courses I caddy at officially open in early April and close around Thanksgiving. 

[Rob Person]

Year round golf.

October-November and February-March is my favorite time to play Simply because of the temperatures. The courses themselves are pristine from april-october though 

[TJ Hall]

Can’t vote…courses here in southeast Virginia don’t close.

[russtopherb]

Semi private around the corner from me is open year round.

The muni I play the most opens in March every year 

[ParFore74x]

The munis here have been open for a few weeks already due to unseasonably warm weather. I’m hoping to go check one out today when the temps climb just a bit more. 

[Shlax]

In the Montreal (Canada) area, it's usually around mid-April.

I played my first round of 2022 on April 18th and for 2023, on April 14th. This year we got what appeared to be an early spring so we anticipated opening for Easter weekend (March 30th), but temps have fallen below 0 C (32 F) since last week...

Can't wait to get started!

[NubianRugby]

4 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

For those who golf year round, when is your course in the best condition and when do you have your best rounds of the season?

My home course stays open through the Winter, but I stopped playing a couple of weeks into November and pretty much left my golf clubs alone for 3 months (I did hit a few times when we had some random 60 degree days). As soon as the weather broke in early February I was back at it. Course is in kind of rough shape because the only time people weren't on it was for a couple of weeks when it snowed in January; but the grounds crew and weather will have it right in another 6-8 weeks. I'll probably have my best rounds in August/September.

[Nick_D]

I just joined a private club this year and got the email yesterday that opening day will be March 28! We've had plenty of warm weather lately in Michigan, but it always gets spoiled by a random snow shower the next couple days. Looking forward to finally getting out on the course.

[Michael.Sandoval33]

There's no vote for Southern California golf! The courses do not close for us. 

[BallsLeon]

They only close if there's snow on the ground and sub-freezing all day, otherwise they are open year round. GHIN posting season starts March 1st however.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

In my area or state for that matter the courses are open year-round. I will play if the temperature is above 45 degrees and typically play twice a week. I did play all 52 weeks this past year, so it never got that cold. From early November until mid-April the fairways are dormant, and the playing conditions are brown dormant grass and pretty much a tight lie everywhere. The best scoring conditions are from late April through October. If look back at my GHIN history all my low rounds fall within May through October.  But no low rounds recorded in August. (really, it's only 100* and 90% humidity in August) Did I mention the god-awful gnats in midsummer! Nothing worse than gnats in your ear during your downswing. (I have to remember to put ear plugs in my bag for those bad days) I've tried every spray that I can easily get my hands on. 

[GolfSpy MPR]

Here in the UP, our course reliably opens in May. April golf is considered a bonus (and looks like a real possibility this year). A June opening is not unheard of, if we get lots of May snow and the course is still waterlogged.

[BringerofRain]

1 hour ago, Michael.Sandoval33 said:

There's no vote for Southern California golf! The courses do not close for us. 

That’s right. We get to fight for tee times all year long. 

[Proimpactclubworx]

Was lucky enough to get out last week here in Canada with a warm snap. Unfortunately winter has returned and they are closed this week

[G-Ram]

Here in south central BC, pretty much all courses are open as of march 16 ! We're in a desert climate though, so other parts of the province lag behind us somewhat.

Already have 2 rounds in, and a third coming this afternoon 

[nijguy]

I know we are spoiled, but San Diego is pretty special, considering we get to play year round!

 

[Randall Robbins]

Florida courses, like Denny's, are always open - but as an aside, when I lived in Illinois Missouri and North Carolina, the courses were only closed if there was snow covering the course or it was below freezing, so I was still playing a couple of rounds every month usually.

[PrismFlopper]

Most of the courses opened up last week. But theres a good handful that are open year round as long as there is no snow on the ground.

[Dukhook52]

Arkansas is almost year round golf.  Typically we have only about six weeks when it’s too cold to play.  Even then, the occasional decent day pops up.  However, most courses are fully Bermuda grass with no overseeding.  So, we play on dormant grass during winter.  Some courses dye the greens for those months.  Let me just say that dormant Bermuda greens are really fast!  We do get a lot rain during winter, so it can get quite sloppy.  But sloppy golf beats no golf hands down!

[unccross]

Year around, best conditions in may probably. 

[BobBC78]

Although the official golf season in RI goes from April 1 - November 14, my home course, North Kingstown Golf Course (a Muni) only closes when there is snow on the ground.

I answered the @GolfSpy_APH 's question from the standpoint of when conditions are best, which is June. Fortunately, the course built a retention pond about 10-years ago, so keeping it watered during the summer isn't a problem and it remains in really good condition throughout most of the season. 

[DAC]

The courses here have been open since March 1st depending on the weather. Last week they were open all week with temperatures in the low fifties to upper 60s, now this week they are closed it's a balmy 30° outside. As long as the ground doesn't freeze or get a heavy frost the courses will be open in my area which is East Central Ohio.

[Swood1994]

With a virtually non-existent winter our courses are "open" but with bare-bones conditions (no pins or temporary green) and walking only. It is still nice to be able to play 9 or 18 in the winter months when the weather breaks for a few days.

[Raymond Wagoner]

I Play in a senior league plays every Wed. starting play the 2nd Wed. of April. It's a public course and as long as the weather is nice it's open year round can't wait.

[Alan Scalzi]

19 hours ago, Randall Robbins said:

Florida courses, like Denny's, are always open - but as an aside, when I lived in Illinois Missouri and North Carolina, the courses were only closed if there was snow covering the course or it was below freezing, so I was still playing a couple of rounds every month usually.

Live near KC MO, played Dec 23 and and every weekend in February.  Most if all course have gone to cart path only till spring! Played in upper 40°  and the courses have been mostly full!