Old programs return and two new programs highlight summer of 2010
The Borderland area is raving about the early spring.
So is Falls Country Club professional Tom O’Connell.
The Falls CC opened March 26, unofficially the earliest start date ever. That’s 15 days before this spring’s earliest recorded ice out to date (April 10).
“It’s not just the earliest date, we’ve never operated with conditions as good as they are,” O’Connell said Wednesday on another sunny day.
While Borderland golfers usually battle wet, cold and unpredictable weather in the spring — plus the ongoing battle with themselves — this year has been a major exception. Even the irrigation system has been up and running 12 days.
“We usually don’t have to irrigate in April,” O’Connell said.
The only complaint is about dormant grass.
“And we’ve been busy. It’s just like summer time,” O’Connell added.
Membership fees are the same as last summer and the spring membership deal for $100 runs until June 1.
The PGA of American and Play Golf America programs begin in May, also known as free lesson month. There are two free clinics scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 15 and May 22.
June is American Express Women’s Golf Month, and the popular program will again feature three nights of free instruction and play starting at 5:30 p.m. on June 2, 9 and 16. These three nights were three of the most popular nights for women last summer.
The junior clinics — a staple under O’Connell entering his 12th year — return and will run June 7-9, June 28-30 and July 20-22. When O’Connell first started organizing these junior clinics, a group of 5- and 6-year-olds caught his eye. That group now swings away on the International Falls varsity golf team, which is expected to contend for a Section 7AA title this spring (see story Page 3B).
“Everything we’ve planned in the past is really coming together right now,” O’Connell said.
New to the Falls CC this summer is a Time for Nine program and a concept of Team Golf. The Time for Nine program’s main focus is to encourage people to “just take the time to play 9,” and socialize after the round. This is expected to start once a week in June.
“Time is a bigger obstacle right now to the game than money,” O’Connell said.
The Team Golf concept is aimed toward juniors, and will attempt to teach them how to play fast, how to use golf etiquette and how to keep an honest score. Bridging the gap between inexperienced juniors and experience adults on a busy Saturday afternoon is good for everyone, O’Connell said.
Coming off a terrible summer financially and weather-wise in 2009, O’Connell couldn’t have asked for a better beginning to 2010.
“It should be a very, very exciting year,” he said.
2010 Falls Country Club Events
June 16 Rally For A Cure
June 18 RRCC Foundation
June 26 Holenko Memorial
July 9 Ross Memorial
July 10-11 Smokey Bear
July 15 Couples Classic
July 22 Rainy Lake Medical Center Foundation
Aug. 5 Pete Peterson Senior
Aug. 7 Budweiser Tournament
Aug. 10 Men’s Club Championship
Aug. 11 Ladies’ Club Championship
Aug. 13 Purple Pride Tournament
Sept. 11 Frostbite Falls Scramble
*To contact the Falls CC, call (218) 283-4491
