Kick-off of the golf season in Abitibi-Témiscamingue

This is a late opening compared to last year, when amateurs were able to start setting off in mid-March.

Despite the relaxation of health measures and the strong comeback of travel, the Club’s general manager, Martin Lacasse, is optimistic to see the enthusiasm of the past two years continue at the ticket office.

Martin Lacasse, General Manager of the Dallaire Municipal Golf Club

Photo: Radio-Canada / Jean-Michel Cotnoir

“To tell the truth, there was a bit of uncertainty when we started to put the sanitary measures aside. For the membership, which has a lot of impact right now, it’s more Mother Nature than the drop in health measures because we feel that people are still there. Yes, Mother Nature is hurting us a bit these days, but we expect roughly the same level of traffic [que l’an passé] “says Mr. Lacasse.

Dallaire Golf Club professional Claude Murray is delighted with the diversification of the clientele observed since the start of the pandemic.

We are lucky because the pandemic has brought us very positive points. Lots of new people are coming to play golf. At one point, there were no more sports, soccer and baseball had not started, so we repatriated all those people who played in other sports and we are very happy to welcome them herehe confides.

Mr. Murray praises in particular a program intended to introduce women to the practice of golf.

“We have a great program managed by a separate committee, Hell’s Golfers. We welcome 36 new golfers this year. They have courses, they have mentors to help them go into the field. The program is really great and it lasts the whole season, so it’s exceptional”, he expresses.

Claude Murray, professional at the Dallaire municipal golf club in Rouyn-Noranda.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Jean-Michel Cotnoir

The youngest who want to start playing golf are not left out, according to Claude Murray.

We start our programs from the age of 4, so it’s easy to initiate them. We have qualified coaches to teach them. It’s really awesome. Last year, we had 122 junior membershe says.

The spring chore

While the last snowdrifts are melting, Golf Club employees are working hard to allow the course to open as soon as possible.

It’s a lot of work and it’s all done in stages. It’s a bit like Mother Nature who decides, we follow her in the end. The first step that was done was to remove the snow from the greens. As soon as it starts to get hot, the greens must be allowed to take on vigor and oxygenate themselves. Then, our employees walk around the field to pick up what’s lying around, residues, fences. We prepare the field of practice and we prepare the machinery, which requires a lot of preparation in view of the summerdescribes Martin Lacasse.

” The world is at work and it’s feverish, we feel that it’s coming. We just can’t wait for the last white spots to disappear. »

The first golfer to hit the practice range on Friday, Adrien Dault is now impatiently awaiting the opening of the course.

Adrien Dault was the first golfer at the driving range.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Jean-Michel Cotnoir

Of course we are in a hurry, we are a bit late. People from Sudbury, southern Ontario, have been playing for about three weeks so they tease us a bit, but when it starts, we like ithe said.

With the cooperation of the weather, Club officials hope to open the pitch around mid-May.

This is also the case for most of the other courses in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, with the exception of the Ville-Marie golf club, where we want to allow the first golfers to hit the fairways next weekend. .