When do you think we will be playing golf in the Ottawa region

[rezadue]

Ok. I am getting very very antsy and have started counting days till the courses open.
I am also betting a colleague that we will be able to play before mid April. When do you think courses will open for busines in this region?

[dH]

Yeah it sucks those of us who love golf and are young enough / not tied down should consider moving... People have been playing ALL THIS TIME doing the same kinda job living the same kinda life only better as they have no winter. Why do we live here?

[leftylucas]

OK, this is my guesstimate.

I was speaking with a greenskeeper in late December and he was impressed with the winter we had experinced to date. He said that because of the timing and amount of snow in November/December that the greens would be in great shape come the spring.

The other side of the coin is in fact, in Ottawa we almost always get the same average amount of snow every year, so, seeing we are way down from the average to date, one would think that we will get dumped on pretty good in the next 6 weeks which puts the mid-April date in question.

However, the last time that I golfed in Decemeber of one year, I also golfing the 2nd of April the following year. I last golfed in early December/05 so I am sure we will be golfing in early April in terrific conditions.

How is that for science!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Shivas Irons]

I think I read in an earlier OG post that the conditions would be poor this spring because of the freeze/thaw cycles we've had this winter. I'm no greenskeeper so I really don't know.
My prediction: Golf in early April & poor conditions until mid-June

[rezadue]

At this point I am not that concerned about the conditions as long as I get to go out there and play a few rounds. I feel like a damned addict! Thinking of it numerous times a day.

I have even gone to the basement and touched my clubs from time to time

[Kilroy]

April 6th seems to be the date that always sticks in my head. Not soon enough for me.

[John]

Don't feel bad about touching your clubs from time to time Rezadue. Mine are all over my apartment and i've constantly got a club in my hands.

[dH]

I'm with John, every room has a random club for some reason or more than one club. I often find myself going to the kitchen to do something but end up holding my 7 iron in my dining room. Long story short we're all addicted to golf or we wouldn't check this board so often and chat about it even though NONE of us can play around here. This weather is ridiculous!

*Someone NEEDS to create a ball that weights the same, is bright and talks to you so you can find it in the snow*

[mberube]

April 10th in the region.

My brother-in-law lives in Ithaca NY about 4 hours south of here. They had no snow on the ground at all last week. I have not talked to him since the snowstorm in NY last weekend but I seriously think that if it warms up, some golf will be played in mid-march in Syracuse.

Mike

[Big Johnny69]

Don't feel bad about touching your clubs from time to time Rezadue. Mine are all over my apartment and i've constantly got a club in my hands.

THANK GOD! I thought I was the only one. Always have a club in hand at some point during the day.

[fireice]

You guys and your touching clubs, I'll never tell here.
Last year my first round was April 11th at Manderley.
Not too much snow out here in the Gower (although it is snowing now), 1st week in April sounds great to me.

[rezadue]

John,

I guess the only weird thing about touching my clubs is that a fair number of them used to be your clubs. BTW, I love those RAC LTs. Great Irons!!!

I think what makes things worse is that I feel I have finally assembled a good bag and I also have a couple of new clubs I am dying to try, such as my driver.

Don't feel bad about touching your clubs from time to time Rezadue. Mine are all over my apartment and i've constantly got a club in my hands.

[bbad]

just knowing that we're talking about when golf is going to start is good enough for me....light at the end of the tunnel???

[dbleber]

Calabogie will be open early, say first week of April. Normal courses here in Ottawa won't start opening until the second week, somewhere areound the 17th was when my course opened last year.

[BC MIST]

I was speaking with a greenskeeper in late December and he was impressed with the winter we had experinced to date. He said that because of the timing and amount of snow in November/December that the greens would be in great shape come the spring.

But, since that time we have had a lot of rain and above freezing temperatures and with the resulting melt the water has seeped down through the snow and has collected on the surface of the greens.(Assuming untarped, of course) Therefore, at green level there is a layer of ice. This layer of ice actually varies in depth from green to green and from course to course.

The grass can survive under this ice for only a certain period of time before it dies, I gather because of too much carbon doixide, which cannot percolate up through the ice, or as one greenskeeper told me, hydrogen sulphide, for the same reason. Bent grasses will last longer(90 days?) than Poa Annua(maybe 60 days?)

There apparently is very little frost in the ground as the snow came before any appreciable cold, and if it stays that way, then once the snow melts and the ground thaws, growth begins. Two years ago, we had a very deep frost with night time temperatures in April and much of may close to or just above the freezing mark, so there was very little growth during the day and courses did not really come alive until June.

For another year we are in a precarious position of probably having some damage to portions of our beloved golf courses.

We have had a spring-like winter so far and I hope that we DON'T have a winter-like spring.

[GolfOttawa]

I heard Calabogie is open Saturday!

[dbleber]

I heard Calabogie is open Saturday!

Yup, it is in fact open on Saturday..........for skiing.

[rezadue]

Party Pooper!

But, since that time we have had a lot of rain and above freezing temperatures and with the resulting melt the water has seeped down through the snow and has collected on the surface of the greens.(Assuming untarped, of course) Therefore, at green level there is a layer of ice. This layer of ice actually varies in depth from green to green and from course to course.

The grass can survive under this ice for only a certain period of time before it dies, I gather because of too much carbon doixide, which cannot percolate up through the ice, or as one greenskeeper told me, hydrogen sulphide, for the same reason. Bent grasses will last longer(90 days?) than Poa Annua(maybe 60 days?)

There apparently is very little frost in the ground as the snow came before any appreciable cold, and if it stays that way, then once the snow melts and the ground thaws, growth begins. Two years ago, we had a very deep frost with night time temperatures in April and much of may close to or just above the freezing mark, so there was very little growth during the day and courses did not really come alive until June.

For another year we are in a precarious position of probably having some damage to portions of our beloved golf courses.

We have had a spring-like winter so far and I hope that we DON'T have a winter-like spring.

[BC MIST]

Party Pooper!

It is an ancient phenomenon that the bearer of bad news is always hated.

But, having made an occasional mistake along the way, perhaps I will be wrong this time. If so, I will NOT apologize.

[gumby]

just got back from hilton head, so have had a bit of a fix as im afraid we wont be
golfing here till at least the middle of april...

[Indio]

Ok. I am getting very very antsy and have started counting days till the courses open.
I am also betting a colleague that we will be able to play before mid April. When do you think courses will open for busines in this region?

I voted for 1st week in April but something tells me there will be a course or 2 open the last week in March this year

[Colby]

I voted for 1st week in April but something tells me there will be a course or 2 open the last week in March this year

Quit hedging your bet! Pick a day, hahahaha

[bazooka Don]

I can still remember my first time out last year probably because of some of the favourable bounces i got of the ice on some of the holes at Cedar Glen. They only opened the back nine for the first few weeks. Got to love them shots that skid along the ice, i suppose that wouldn't be a penalty since you can play it out of the water if it was shallow enough.

[rezadue]

For once, I am really counting on the weather forecast to be correct. They are predicting highs of around 11 degrees by the 12th of March. That ought to help melt the snow...
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/wea...s/CAON0512.htm

[bazooka Don]

I must be looking at the wrong chart because mine shows me a high of around 2-3. But i will take your forecast instead. With some rain as well.

[rezadue]

For cyring out loud.... The damned long term forecast changed!!!

[sandbagger72]

i went with 3rd week of april not to get my hopes up lol

[The Saint]

I went with May. With this cold and no signs of letting up it'll be two months before the ground thaws enough to play. But I know some course will open while there is still snow on the ground.

[Big Johnny69]

Gee, talk about raining on our parade Mr. Saint. There is no way us golf can wait until May. We need a little more optimism people. The weather will turn, the courses will open, we will be playing golf.........the second week of April. I hope.

[Nat Williams]

April 8th