When Mother Nature Takes Over

Well, this is not the July that we expected.

Significant rainfall amounts across the region have resulted in the temporary closure of the golf course due to extremely wet conditions. Unfortunately, this isn't just an issue on our fairways. It's the exact same story for many area courses right now. Some places like Gilbert Plains are underwater.

Shoal Lake received almost 200 mm of rain in June, most of it falling in just the last two weeks. In fact, that storm on Sunday gave us around 85 mm of rain in less than 24 hours.

I went out and checked out the course on Wednesday evening, and it is very saturated. The ground is holding so much water that it would make golf cart traffic very difficult, if not impossible, without causing serious, long-term damage to the course. To get things back in playing shape, we are going to need a solid break in the rain and some nice, warm weather to dry things out.

Because of the weather, this past week was a tough one for the club. We had no choice but to cancel Men's and Ladies Night, alongside the senior interclub and our fundraising tournament. For those asking about the fundraising tournament, the golf club executive will be making a official decision at their meeting early next week regarding a rescheduled date.

Our fingers are crossed and the hope is that things will resume next week, including Men's Night on Wednesday but that is still yet to be determined by how quickly the course can recover.

If someone is looking for a reprieve, there are nearby courses available. Hamiota reopened today, but with a 90 degree rule for carts. Minnedosa returns to play tomorrow although their river is expected to crest this weekend. Nine of us went to Oak Island yesterday. Their course is completely dry and in pristine condition.

While the temporary closure of the golf course is certainly frustrating for all of us who want to get out there, it pales in comparison to what is happening across our wider community and region. Shoal Lake and surrounding parts of the Parkland area have been hammered by relentless rainfall with some regional storm tracking hitting massive accumulations that have triggered severe overland flooding. This has resulted in water in basements, major road closures, and extensive damage to personal property and community infrastructure.

Our thoughts are with our regional neighbors dealing with the brunt of this weather. Thank you everyone for your patience and understanding as our grounds crew and club get this situation under control.

Looking further ahead, please remember that the Horse Race tournament is scheduled for Saturday, July 25. You can secure your spot now by sending entries to Stephen David via text at (204) 847-0161 or by email at sdavid@pwsd.ca.