Wet weather welcomed at Saskatoon golf course

April showers usually bring May flowers, but that hasn’t been the case in Saskatoon this week.

All throughout this past week the city has had to deal with rain and even a little bit of snow, as Mother Nature struggles to make up her mind about what season it is. Some might not enjoy seeing the rain trickling down and the snow flying, but the manager at a local golf course is happy to get the extra moisture.

“We came out of the winter really well,” said Craig Prentice, general manager of The Willows Golf Club.

“Greens and tees look great. We were a little dry, so the added moisture is going to help us in the long run. Unfortunately, we had to close up (Thursday) because of the weather, but as long as it’s raining and we’re getting that free moisture, we’ll certainly take it.”

Prentice said the snow that’s been mixed in with the rain at times is actually good for the golf course, as long as it’s not cold enough outside to damage the course.

“Any moisture is good moisture for us, especially with the snow. It gives it that slow melt and lets the ground soak it up,” he explained.

“What we’re really concerned about is the really cold weather over an extended period of time that may end up damaging some of our greens.”

Prentice said that’s not expected to be an issue this far into the season.

“Looking at the forecast, we aren’t concerned about that, and if it’s going to be a blustering two degrees outside at least it’s got some rain in it, so it will help the golf course green up for the rest of the season,” he said.

Prentice said one of the biggest perks so far this season is that golfers haven’t had to walk through any water because of the nature of the spring melt this year.

Temperatures are expected to reach into the mid-to-high teens next week, though there is some more rain in the forecast as well.