Recent bad weather puts some Calgary golf courses in the rough

Snowstorms last week in Calgary forced some local golf courses to close for the season a little earlier than many were hoping.

And while some are opting to call it a season, others are hoping to reopen for a little longer this fall.

Either way, some courses say they've taken a hit because of all the bad weather since early September.

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Lynx Ridge Golf Club is one of the clubs that decided to close a little earlier than usual.

Head pro Tyler LeBouthillier says they're just hoping for enough warm weather in the coming days to give crews a chance to winterize the course.

"I think we've had the worst September that Calgary's had in years," he said.

"I think the last nice day we've had was on Sept. 7, so because of that, business has been extremely slow. We're just like every other golf course out there, struggling a little bit on public golf rounds."

Other courses, like Fox Hollow, say they're hoping to reopen for a few weeks before winter if weather permits.

Fox Hollow head pro Greg Griffith says summer numbers were good, but adds the storm capped off a long stretch of wet, cold weather during what should have been a busy month on the links.

"The weather was so poor, we weren't getting any play at all ... same as all the other golf courses," he said.

Griffith says that likely means a hit to revenue and staffing hours for those courses.

The city says it will be assessing conditions on its courses and might reopen 18 holes at some point this fall.

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