Breckenridge Golf Club is about to do something it has not done in 46 years.
On May 1, pending a spring snowstorm, the Beaver and Bear nines will open for the earliest round of golf in club history, dating back to the inaugural season in 1985. One week later, on May 8, the Elk nine opens for another record opening. Last year, all 27 holes did not open until June.
Club manager Grant Johnson tells Krystal 93 this is a bright spot in a bizarro spring season, when the greens and fairways at 9,600 feet have been snow-free since March – something he not seen in 14 years at the club.
“People are chomping at the bit to get going with golf and all summer activities because of the low-snow year,” Johnson says. “Our golf simulator was really busy this winter, packed almost all the time.”
Most years, Johnson and staff have weeks to get ready while the course thaws out. They are often more worried about frost damage than stocking the pro shop.
But not this year.
“The biggest challenge to open the golf course this season was getting the staff we need,” Johnson says. “It just takes people to be able to get both sides of the operation running, and our maintenance staff has done a great job, busting their butts since March. Same with the pro shop staff.”
The club already broke one record this season, opening the driving range on April 20. It was “shockingly busy,” Johnson remembers. Instead of turf mats golfers were hitting from the grass, which had “greened up nicely” during the record heat of late March and the warm, mostly snow-free days of mid-April.
Now, with the countdown on, Mother Nature is doing what she does best – and being temperamental. Forecast is calling for temps in the 40s and a chance of snow daily through early Saturday. The biggest totals, of course, are Thursday into Friday morning. There is even a winter weather advisory.
“We’ll still be here ready to go,” Johnson assures golfers. “If there’s snow on the ground, obviously we won’t be opening the course, but the pro shop is open and we’re expecting it will melt off by Friday afternoon. It’s looking good for the weekend.”
Dry days to come
Summit’s record-dry winter – Breckenridge Resort closed with less than half of its annual snowfall – means Johnson is already planning for summer watering limits, saying his team is “coming up with proactive water conservation strategy if we run out of irrigation water.”
This means turning off the water for “non-essential” turf, like the roughs. If conditions are truly dire, some of the fairways might go thirsty. Also starting May 1, homeowners in town cannot water more than two days per week.
“We’re certainly hoping we have strong rainfall this summer when the monsoon kicks in, but we are preparing to operate under drought conditions and do our part to conserve water,” Johnson says.
The club manager himself will hit the links Sunday to “test the product and knock off the rust.” Like the golfers who crowded the driving range last week, he is chomping at the bit to play a round, but he admits a few more wet, and yes, even snowy days in May will make life easier by June 12, when high season begins.
“We are excited to open the course, but at the same time we are taking every little bit of moisture we get,” Johnson says. “We are going to need every drop.”
Breckenridge Golf Club opens May 1, weather pending, with low-season rates: $50 for Breck residents, $64 for Summit and Park residents, $85 for everyone else (not including a cart). You can book a tee time now.
Early openings all over
Over at Keystone the River Course opens with all 18 holes on Friday, May 8. The Keystone Ranch Course opens May 15.
The Raven at Three Peaks has not confirmed an opening date.
Copper Creek at Copper Mountain most likely will not open until June. Skiers are still ripping up the slush on the fairways above East Village until the chairlifts stop spinning May 3.