A golfer tees off during the last week of play at Connaught Golf Club (photo courtesy Ross Lavigne)

By Teagan Rasche

'A lot of new people have taken up golf'

Golf courses reflect on one of the busiest seasons yet as they prepare to close

Oct 21, 2021 | 4:07 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Golfers embrace the greens on one of their last drives of the 2021 season.

A season that’s been full of ideal weather and was much busier than normal.

“This has been probably the busiest season we’ve had in the last 10 years,” Brian Oliphant, PGA Head Professional at Connaught Golf Club said. “The weather was great all year and it’s just been busy.”

There’s been a lot of new faces at Connaught Golf Club too, something Oliphant credits to the pandemic.

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“The start of the season with the COVID restrictions, golf was one of the few things that you could do so everybody that used to play golf got back into it,” Oliphant said. “So I think that’s really helped the golf industry this year.”

It’s a positive trend other golf courses across Medicine Hat are also noticing, including Cottonwood Coulee.

“Last year we were quite busy and this year it’s kind of continued,” owner Mac Baker said. “I think a lot of new people have taken up golf with the restrictions limiting things you can do, people have enjoyed being outside and it’s been a really busy year for us.”

Paradise Valley Golf Course calls 2021 one of their best seasons ever.

“I think last year because of COVID, we have a lot more new golfers and I think they just kept coming this year,” general manager Kim Bronson said.

While tee times were frequently booked up, events were more of a challenge. Anything indoors was almost nonexistent at Paradise Valley and Cottonwood Coulee held everything outside.

“We are pretty lucky we have an outdoor banquet facility that we were able to use quite a bit this year,” Baker said. “We did have some events canceled just with numbers and different case counts in Medicine Hat, we did decide to postpone some of our events but we were still able to host a number of charity events.”

But as the leaves keep changing and the weather gets cooler, the busy golf courses are preparing to close. Cottonwood and Connaught wrap things up on Sunday and Paradise Valley closes next weekend on October 31.

All are hoping for a busy 2022 season with events included once again.