GREAT FALLS — Beautiful, sunny days show that the people are ready for golf.
But with inconsistent weather and snow still in the forecast, it begs the question: are the courses ready?
Jamie Kapp is golfing for fun, not fame.
“This year, I just decided, I'm just going to golf to the best of my ability. If it doesn't work. Oh, well,” Kapp said.
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This is his fifth time out on the course this year, which is fewer than usual.
“We usually do a lot of the winter golf where this course is open during the winter," Kapp said.
Since March, people have been flocking to the greens.
“You know, it's been, spectacular. A lot of people been coming out and playing, taking advantage of the really nice weather days," Stange said.
However, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing.
“We just need a little help from Mother Nature, that's all," Stange said.
Stange says that night temperatures are not warm enough for their soil to take up the fertilizer.
“Plants really don't take up, the nitrogen that we're putting out until we hit 45 somewhere in that range. Right now we're still in the low 40s,”
In addition to this, frost delays after freezing nights are necessary to keep the grass from dying.
“It's more cosmetic and everything. You know, our fairways are still a little brown, but everything's starting to wake up slowly," Stange said.
For Kapp, the weather won’t stop him from playing nine, “Well, we'll come out at least 3 to 4 times a week.”
For newer golfers, like Dylan Pawar and his friends, they're just happy to have warm days.
“I'm enjoying the learning process. I'm struggling with my driver. But I'm enjoying hitting," Pawar said.
Weather permitting, Pawar expects himself to be back out on the course soon.
“Oh, yeah. For sure. Yeah. This is like my year that I feel like I'm really getting into golf," Pawar said. "Like last year was kind of my introduction. This year I'm excited to play.”
