Mike McDermott, Contributor
One of the surest signs that Spring has arrived is the opening of the local golf course. In the absence of a winter golf trip to a warm climate, most golfers put away their clubs for approximately five months. Seeing the snow melt and weather turning for the better leads golfers to a happy place, knowing golf at our local course is not far off. Instead of just watching golf on television, we can actually go out and play golf with our friends. The Spring Green Municipal Golf Course is now open for play, and on good weather days has been quite busy.
While much will look familiar at the golf course, there is noticeable change brought on by the Village of Spring Green removing more that 15 mature ash trees separating the 9th hole and Highway 23. Given the need to stop the spread of the emerald ash borer, the trees were taken down late last year. A new batch of young trees will be going in this year, but it will be a number of years before they are grown enough to provide security for golfers or vehicles on that hole.
Fees for 2021 will be the same as they were in 2020. Daily users will pay $10 for Nine holes, or $20 for as much golf as you want to play in one day. For those interested in buying a season pass (unlimited golf), the rates are: Family – $350, Couple – $300, Single – $235. For the 2020 season, in the interest of giving more young people access to golf, we allowed juniors (under 18 year of age) to play for free. We will once again be offering free golf for juniors, with one requirement; juniors must register with the Spring Green Golf Club by filling out a membership form and getting a bag tag. A family membership would cover parents and college students between the ages of 18-24. Golfers bringing their personal motorized golf carts to the course will need to pay an annual cart fee of $50. The Village of Spring Green no longer handles the sale of memberships. If you would like to purchase one you can contact us at sgmunigolf@gmail.com. We also have membership forms in the sign-in folder at the starter’s shack by the first tee box.
When playing at the Spring Green Golf Course, we ask all golfers to sign in at the starter’s shack near the 1st tee, and indicate whether you are a member or a daily fee patron. For those paying daily fees, we have an envelope payment system at the starter’s shack. Please encourage all golfers you know to sign in and pay the proper fees. Without managing that system properly we would not be able to allow junior golfers to play at no charge. We will be auditing golfers on a random basis to ensure they have signed in and paid. Those who are found to have played without paying will be subject to a fine from the Village of Spring Green.
The unusual impact of COVID-19 resulted in a number of on-course changes in 2020. Bunker rakes, ball washers, and benches were removed from the course. Flagsticks were not to be touched, and a special device was inserted into each cup to keep the ball from falling all the way to the bottom. As of the beginning of this season, we will be going back to pre-2020 practices with most of those golf course fixtures. (There will still be a foam sleeve preventing the ball from falling to the bottom of the cup.) This decision is driven by the lack of scientific evidence pointing to the virus being spread by contact with surfaces such as bunker rakes or flagsticks. However, it’s still up to each golfer to decide whether to use any of those amenities while playing at our course. If you feel safer not touching the flagstick or bunker rake, please follow what you feel is best for you.
The leadership of the Spring Green Golf Club is working to ensure this vital resource remains viable for years to come. We look forward to seeing you back on the course this year. For more information check out our website: sites.google.com/view/sgmunigolf
The Annual Membership meeting for the Spring Green Golf Club will be held on Tuesday, April 6th, at 6:00 PM in the Post House Garden. The meeting will be immediately followed by the SG Men’s League draft. In case of bad weather, the location will change to the Wisconsin Riverside Resort.