The Golf Season Arrives at Oakview

Friday was opening day at the Oakview golf course.

"We're a month early which brings a lot of excitement," said club president, Craig Neufeld. "We're excited to open, and for people to be able to get outside and enjoy the course, and enjoy the weather."

Neufeld was hoping for a big rain this week to green up the nine-hole layout near Gretna. The course did receive two-tenths of an inch of rain Thursday night into Friday, and more precipitation is expected early next week in the form of either rain or snow.

"It will be a little brown to start, but the course is in good shape," noted Neufeld. "The greens will be good. We took the tarps off a week or two ago, and everything is looking good. As the weeks go on, and the weather continues to warm up and with a little miosture, the course will continue to get greener and greener."

Golf courses in Manitoba got the green light from the government to open on May 4th last year, with COVID-19 safety protocols put in place.

Golfers were not allowed to use ball washers or rakes, and flag sticks were off limits.

Neufeld says weather was the main factor in determining when the course would open this year.

"When the weather looked good for a little while in March we were starting to think about it, but then we saw snow, so I guess we made the right decision to not open right away. Now we kind of see the forecast, and the weather is good enough to open the course. It's stayed warm, and the freezing temperatures aren't too bad overnight, so we made the decision to open early. We also look at the other courses in Manitoba to see if they're opening too, so we want to stay on par with everyone else."

Neufeld says the par four second hole will have a new look in 2021. 

"This is a two part project. We have widened the creek, and now our capacity for holding water is much more. Even though we haven't had a lot of moisture to start the season, the creek is holding more water, so that's a great sign. We'll be able to water the tees and greens as needed, which is great, and puts us ahead of other years. The moguls on hole two will be worked on throughout the year. We'll have to landscape, seed the grass and water it. The moguls will be played as ground under repair this year, and hopefully they'll be fully playable next season."

The club raised close to $50,000 through donations last year which enabled clubhouse renovations to begin.

The east wing of the clubhouse was torn down and made into a patio veranda area. 

The entrance to the clubhouse is now on the east side, and members and green fee players will see a brand new restaurant and bar area when they walk in.

"We're super excited for longtime members to see the work that has been done," said Neufeld. "The thought behind it was to keep everything effecient, so I think this will do us well for years and years to come. We still need to add siding to the clubhouse, and that will give it a fantastic new look. We'll also do work on the west patio, as well, as the year goes on."

"There's lots of new things happening this year, and we're really, really excited for all the members to come and see it and enjoy it," added Neufeld. "We know with COVID restrictions it's tough to enjoy all of the renovations at the beginning of the season, but as we head into summer, hopefully everyone is able to enjoy...the newly renovated clubhouse. Golf has given people an outlet to be able to do something outdoors which is fun and safe for everyone. We're looking forward to seeing everyone at Oakview."

The Winkler golf course will open on Thursday, April 15th. The Minnewasta golf course in Morden is also scheduled to open next Thursday weather permitting. The Carman golf course opened on April 6th.