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Spring has sprung on area golf courses

Maybe I was just hoping for the real spring to break through after the dismal winter we experienced. Did it seem to you, like it did to me, that we suddenly turned green in a matter of a few days?

This certainly did not hurt my feelings, as I was looking forward to escaping dull and dreary and welcoming those white and pink displays on those dormant trees.

It’s good to be back for my 34th season. I am amazed at how well our local golf courses came through the parched winter – grounds crews seemed to work miracles, as we welcome another season.

Our local courses are not wasting time trying to get you back into shape. For me, however, I am several weeks away from feeling up to par swinging a club. I had my gall bladder removed, fortunate for me, in January, and those pesky muscles in the lower abdomen still are not ready to show me fluid form. So, for the rest of you, get ready for a full tournament schedule season.

For our area women’s golfers, there will be plenty of regional tournament play on the docket.

Action kicks off Saturday with the Hopin We’re Open annual event at the Dalton Ranch Golf Club. The field is limited to the first 100 who sign up, and play gets underway with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. I will have complete results for you next week.

Hillcrest Golf Club rolls out its tournament season starting April 25 with the JTM Music/A-B-C-D Blind Draw Scramble. Prior to this event, some special events will dot the Hillcrest calendar, starting with the Young Life tournament April 19 and a Durango High School girls golf tournament April 20. In all, Hillcrest has 16 tournaments, along with 11 inclusive events, spanning the next seven months. So there will be no excuses for not getting involved in one or many of these activities.

I want to thank Cathy Gaskell of the Dalton Ranch Women’s Golf Association for getting a jump-start on regional tournament news for our women’s golfers. One early event – April 25-26 – in the Grand Valley is the ninth annual Redlands Mesa Women’s Open. The format on opening day is a two-lady best-ball with an afternoon five-hole shoot-out competition. Sunday’s format is best-ball “eclectic” – taking the better score. Handicap differential between partners is 10 strokes. For information on this event, call MJ at (970) 210-8962.

Earlier this week, I was visiting Dalton Ranch Golf Club, and workers were hard at it replacing carpet in the lounge and dining area. It looks to be a great season and a comfortable golfing experience at our north valley layout.

What can we say about The Masters except what CSI-New Orleans’ lead character says: “We gonna have some fun.” There are so many talented golfers, both young and matured, who will be vying for the green jacket. Even Tiger Woods will try to bounce back for this event. As I have always said, the only way to conquer those disappointments is to get back on that bicycle – or, in Tiger’s case, back on the tour. Should make for an interesting four days.



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