What a Difference A Year Makes!

So where were you a year ago? Chances are if you're a Links regular you were on the course. Yes - we were open this time a year ago, but this year Mother Nature has a different agenda. The calendar has said its spring for over a month now, but the thermometer has consistently called it a liar as we've continued to endure snowfall after snowfall.

This extended shoulder season is finally coming to a close. This weekend for the first time temperatures are expected to reach double digits during the day and, more importantly stay at or above freezing at night! Couple the warming trend with some snow eating winds and the course should be bare in short order!

Regional micro climates mean that Taylor's Lone Wolf course is again the first local course to open. Flying home from Vancouver this week, my plane was descending over Taylor and I noted just how little snow was left around the course. Another friend who lives in the Charlie Lake area tells me their snow is also retreating but not as fast as residents would like. Pictures taken April 20th at Links show we too are a ways from being snow free. We'll pull the snow blankets off the greens this weekend and have our first peek at what's beneath!

From here on the news should be good! I've lived in the area long enough to have seen snow fall every month of the year. My family once had to cancel an August long weekend holiday due to white out conditions on the Alaska highway, so I know better than to say with absolute certainty that the white stuff is gone for good, but here's hoping. With Canadian teams stumbling in the hockey playoffs, the golfing jokes are flying. With some continued good weather and concentrated preparation efforts members shots will soon be flying too!