 |
| At Lyman Orchards GC, the last of the snow has finally melted. |
Spring is finally here, golf courses are opening, and the Connecticut State Golf Association is set to embark on its 114th year as the steward of golf in Connecticut. Many of Connecticut’s public and private facilities are either open or planning to open this week.
One of Connecticut’s premier facilities, The Golf Club at Oxford Greens, opening Friday, sold out of its morning tee times in a matter of hours. Some courses, such as Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Middlefield, are scheduling opening events. Lyman plans to open all 45 holes on Friday, along with a full Demo Day featuring equipment from Nike, Taylor-Made, Ping and Titleist. Below is a list of some of Connecticut’s featured clubs that are either open or are planning to open this week:
Open Now: Banner CC (Moodus), Blue Fox Run GC (Avon), Candlewood Valley CC (New Milford), Connecticut National GC (Putnam), Copper Hill GC (East Granby), Farmingbury Hills GC (Wolcott), GC at Oxford Greens (Oxford), Hawks Landing CC (Southington), Indian Springs GC (Middlefield), Manchester CC (Manchester), Norwich GC (Norwich), Oak Hills Park GC (Norwalk), Pequabuck GC (Bristol), Pequot GC (Stonington), Quarry Ridge GC (Portland), Richter Park GC (Danbury), River Ridge GC (Griswold), Rockledge GC (West Hartford), Rolling Meadows GC (Ellington), Skungamuag River GC (Coventry), Sterling Farms GC (Stamford), Tashua Knolls GC (Trumbull), Timberlin GC (Berlin), Tower Ridge GC (Simsbury), Tunxis Plantation CC (Farmington), Twin Hills Country Club (Coventry), Whitney Farms GC (Monroe) and Willow Brook GC (South Windsor).
While a few of the shoreline clubs have managed to stay open sporadically throughout the winter, the majority of Connecticut’s golf course have not seen an active golfer on the first tee since closing in mid-December. This winter was a stark contrast to the winter of 2012, where the state saw record temperatures, and area courses experienced traffic that was closer to July than February. According to the WTNH weather center, every day in March of 2012 recorded a temperature that was above the average for the day.
 |
| Elisabeth Beloin of CCSU practices at River Landing in North Carolina |
Flash forward to winter of 2012-13, where record snowfall was recorded in many areas throughout the state. Many of Connecticut’s high school and college teams, who were able to practice virtually every day in March last year, have been taking trips south in order to prepare for the upcoming Spring season. For example, both the Men’s and Women’s teams at Central Connecticut State University are currently in Florida and North Carolina, respectively. Both teams have a full spring schedule packed into the month of April, and neither has had a chance to formally practice outside since November.
In just a few short days, the official CSGA handicap season for Connecticut will also begin. On April 1st, 2013, golfers with an active GHIN handicap may begin posting scores recorded at any CSGA member club. Handicap revisions take place on the 1st and 15th of every month from April through November. To post scores, be sure to visit CSGALinks.org and click on the “Post a Score” button under the Handicapping section. Players can also post scores from their mobile phone by downloading the CSGA Mobile App for iPhone and Android by clicking here.
Monday, April 15th will mark the beginning of the 2013 CSGA Championship schedule, with the first One-Day Tournament Series being played at the Tradition Golf Club at Oak Lane. These popular events allow golfers of all ages and abilities to participate in a casual and fun atmosphere, with prizes for low finishers and a year-long Points Race sponsored by Chris Cote’s Golf Shop. Click here for more information about the One Day Tournament Series. Registration for the April 15th One Day Tournament will be available via the CSGA website on Wednesday, April 9th.
The Connecticut State Golf Association, founded in 1899, conducts over 50 Championships, Qualifiers and One-Day Tournaments throughout the year. The events are conducted on some of the best courses in the state and the experience of playing in a CSGA event is second to none. If you’ve entered a CSGA championship in the past, we look forward to seeing you again this year. If you’re new to CSGA championships, we hope to see you at one or more of our 2013 events. Click here to enter!
