Ominous Sign At The Golf Course

An ominous sign has appeared at my home course.

It seems that — in spite of the warm(ish) weather — Green Oaks will close for the season after this upcoming weekend.

This is the earliest that I can remember Green Oaks closing. The course usually is open until the snow flies — and then reopens as soon as there is a melt. Green Oaks was open a couple of days this past January during a thaw.

Since I noticed the sign on the way out, I did not have a chance to ask what improvements are in the offing. One that has been discussed for several years is the removal of cart paths along the fairways. I also suspect that there are significant stretches of pipes underground that need repair or replacement. In recent months, a number of them have started welling up into places on the fairways.

With the shift back to “regular time,” my chances for a quick afternoon nine at Green Oaks was becoming more limited anyway. My best chances to extend the season now are on weekends, and there still are quite a few courses open. A few, such as Fox Hills in Plymouth, never seem to close. Huron Hills in Ann Arbor is another year-round choice.

Of course, in Michigan, we could wake up to snow on any given morning from September to May. There have been years when I have played in Michigan every month of the year. And there have been years when we have seen snow in May. A few years back, when I was coaching girls high school golf, my team played a state playoff match in May amidst snow flurries.