It is just about time to pull the clubs out of the garage and get ready for golf season. One local course has already begun operations with the three others planning to open by month-end. 

Steamboat Golf Club

Steamboat Golf Club is the first of the local courses to open its fairways this spring. The club had a soft opening for members and punch card holders on Monday, May 1, and officially opened to the public on Thursday, May 4. 

“Last year I think we opened April 19, so we are certainly a couple weeks behind where we were last year,” said General Manager Tom Taylor. “The golf course came through the season pretty good though, we mowed the greens every day so far and they are growing.”

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Taylor said there was a lot of cleanup, as well as dealing with snow mold in some spots, but the grass has been growing and he should be able to start mowing the fairways soon. 

The club is still offering its early season special for the 10-visit nine-hole punch card at $259 through Sunday, May 7. After that, the price will rise to $279.

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Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club

Rollingstone is preparing to open its front nine holes on May 24 or 25. The back nine always takes more time to thaw out due to its preponderance of shade, but it will open soon after. 

Golf Director Andrew Donner says the crew has already started work on the front nine and hopes to begin the aerification process on the greens starting next week. 

“When we open up our course, it should be in pretty good shape,” Donner said. “The greens came through the winter really well and we are really happy about that.”

Typically in heavier snow years, there is more vole damage than usual. Donner observed some eaten grass in the fairways and spots around tee boxes, but he says the course had typical winter conditions coming out of the snowy season. The crew will also continuously monitor Fish Creek water levels throughout the spring. 

Rollingstone’s pro shop is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and will offer its early season rates through June 11, then begin local-play days on June 12. 

Haymaker Golf Course

The snow has almost entirely cleared off at Haymaker and the crew is waiting for the course to dry out enough to begin maintenance work and course preparations. 

Head Golf Professional Cody Hasten expects the course to open during the week of May 22, with the driving range opening during the week of May 15. 

Recent spring weather has helped the course’s soil textures to soften enough where the grass has begun to grow and crews can soon start mowing the fairways and greens, but other maintenance needs to be completed before that.

“First thing they do is go out there and clean up some of the weather damage,” Hasten said. “Elk droppings is a big one and any of the vole damage we have, they will rake any of that chewed-up grass. That usually takes a good amount of time because it is done by hand.”

Hasten foresees aerification on the greens starting as early as next week and bunker cleanup and irrigation priming starting up as soon as possible. 

With the later start, Haymaker plans to extend its early season rates into a portion of June but a specific date has not yet been determined. 

Catamount Ranch and Club

Catamount has tentative plans to open its golf course around May 26 and the driving range around May 19. 

General Manager Mark Lampe has seen some snow on the upper holes of the course but says things are beginning to dry up. 

“Obviously with the big snow year we have not been able to get out there as early as we normally would,” Lampe said. “We have the guys out there working now, we’re probably a couple weeks behind a normal season.”

Work at Catamount will include aerification, setting up the sprinkler system and fixing winter damages to irrigation, cart paths, walkways and more. The grass will also need to be cut a few times before it will be in playing condition. 

“The warm weather we have had has been great,” Lampe said. “If we keep getting the warm weather, there is a chance we may be able to move that opening day up, but we are just dependent on Mother Nature at this point.”