SPOKANE, Wash. — Golfers in the Inland Northwest seized the opportunity to hit the links Monday as two Spokane city golf courses opened for the season about a week earlier than in recent years.
Esmeralda and The Creek at Qualchan welcomed golfers under mid-50s temperatures and blue skies. The city said they have seen earlier open dates before, but the favorable weather conditions made for an ideal opening day.
Dave Wilson was part of the first group out on the golf course Monday morning after booking his tee time last week.
“This is really nice to be out here early and in March,” Wilson said.
Wilson acknowledged he needed to get back into the swing of things after the winter break.
“I’m a little rusty on the golf course. I haven’t played in four months,” Wilson said. “My goal for the day is not throw any clubs.”
Golfers said The Creek at Qualchan provides a good challenge for players returning to the links.
“It’s a tough course,” said Mike Burnett, another golfer at the course. “It’s long, it’s narrow. But it’s beautiful.”
Despite the course’s difficulty, Burnett praised the condition of the facilities.
“It’s in great shape, so everyone should get their clubs and come on out,” he said.
All city golf courses are funded solely by green fees. This year, golfers will face a $5 increase per round to help pay for higher operational costs.
Burnett said the price increase is manageable given the quality of Spokane’s golf options.
“The price of golf, it went up a little bit this year. But in Spokane, we got diamonds in the rough. So keep it a secret,” he said.
The secret appears to be out, as city officials said the first weeks of the season are popular and tee time slots fill up quickly.
Wilson, who plays regularly at city courses, highlighted the variety of golf options available in the area.
“I try to play all the courses around Spokane. I’m usually out here once a week. But I play mostly at the city courses, but I’m going everywhere, so there’s a lot, of lot of wonderful golf in the Spokane area,” he said.
Golfers can book tee times online seven days in advance or call ahead to reserve their spots.
Downriver Golf Course is scheduled to open Friday. Three Spokane County golf courses are expected to open in the coming weeks, providing additional options for local golfers eager to start their season.
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