By Troy Young
tyoung@postbulletin.com
With 40-degree temperatures Friday, 50s this weekend and 60s forecasted for Tuesday, the golf season is no longer around the corner. It's here.
Meadow Lakes Golf Club, Oak Summit Golf Course and Willow Creek Golf Course re-opened Friday. Maple Valley Golf &; Country Club hoped to open today.
The three Rochester municipal courses -- Soldiers Field, Northern Hills and Eastwood -- will likely open next week. Frank Taylor, director of golf for the Rochester municipal courses, said the target date is April 12.
ADVERTISEMENT
Soldiers Field could be the first of the three municipal courses to open. "Most of the time, Soldiers Field opens first, because its sandier soil drains faster than the other (city courses)," Taylor said.
The Hawthorne Hills Golf Center driving range will open Tuesday or Wednesday, Taylor said.
The Rochester Golf &; Country Club hopes to open its course later next week, too. Its driving range was to open today.
Southeastern Minnesotans aren't the only ones keeping an eye on the golf courses and weather patterns. Willow Creek has taken calls from Twin Cities residents and golf enthusiasts from around the state, who plan to golf in Rochester this weekend.
"There are people who called from Duluth and are coming down to golf," said Scott Rindahl, Willow Creek club professional. "They can't golf there so they're coming down here."
