MOUNT WILLIAM – We’re a long, long way from Augusta, Georgia.
“The Masters usually gets people out,” says Brian Affleck, owner of Eagle’s Chance Par 3 and Driving Range, as cold, Thursday afternoon winds blow across the driving range.
Affleck had been hoping to open the driving range on Saturday at noon, but while the world’s best golfers play at the Masters this weekend, here in northern Nova Scotia, golfers eager to get going on the 2018 season are at the mercy of Mother Nature.
“I’ll make a decision (Friday) morning,” as to whether the range will open this weekend, said Affleck, who bought the facility in 2014, and is able to let past and current members know via email when he will open the facility.
It would likely be warm enough to open this weekend if the icy winds died down, but the possibility of snow sometime Friday is also throwing a wrench in the plans.
“If it’s a couple of degrees above zero and no wind, we’d be OK, but not when there’s 60-kilometre winds blowing out of the north.”
When Affleck bought the course, he put a strong emphasis on attracting young golfers to help grow the game; his Junior Academy has been highly successful.
Affleck has changed his membership this season; a senior membership is $199 (plus tax), which allows members unlimited golfing on the Par 3, as well as providing a reduced rate for the driving range. A senior membership is $174, junior members pay $99 and there is also a family rate.
The third green is still covered in snow and likely won’t be ready when the course is open, but the greens got through the last several months in good shape; a winter that saw an unusually small amount of snow in this region meant the greens on the Par 3 are virtually ready for play.
“They’re so dry, you’d think it was the middle of July,” Affleck said.
“I actually put some snow on the greens last week just to get some moisture on them.”
Affleck said he plans to re-sod two of the greens early in the season this spring (holes 2 and 8), which would force him to put in temporary greens for roughly two weeks on those holes, until they’re ready. “We might tackle a couple more in the fall, depending on how the season goes.”
He also plans on finishing the construction of a second tee on the fourth hole, and will pull the ninth tee back another 20 yards or so, necessitating the removal of some trees.
One of the advantages of the facility is the spacious driving range that, unlike many of the bigger courses in northern Nova Scotia, allows golfers the opportunity to pull out the big sticks.
“Our driving range brings in traffic from a 150-kilometre radius,” he said. “It’s amazing how many come here just to hit a couple buckets of golf balls. We get people from Truro and Antigonish who want to come here and hit drivers off the grass.”
