Courses enjoy early openings

MAT-SU — Local golfers are already ahead of the game.

Settlers Bay opens today two weeks ahead of its 2010 schedule, Fishhook Golf Course has already been a local hot spot and Palmer Golf Course may have all 18 holes open the earliest in its history.

“It’s probably the best opening we ever had,” PGC director of golf George Collum said Thursday. “It’s the earliest we’ve been able to open all 18 holes. Usually we have to work are way up to it.”

Settlers Bay will also have all 18 holes playable when the Wasilla-area course opens for business today at 11 a.m., a full two weeks earlier than its first day of golf last year.

The best part, Settlers superintendent of golf operations Amos Stephens said, the course will have real greens on all 18 holes.

“No temps, no partial covers,” Stephens said.

Collum said PGC is currently running with five temporary greens, but he’s thrilled about the condition of the course. There’s hardly any snow on the course, even on the back nine, which typically holds on to snow a bit longer than the remainder of the course.

“I drove the course the day before we opened and I couldn’t believe how great it looked,” Collum said.

PGC is currently walk-only, with use of carts still restricted. Collum said he hopes to lift the cart ban Wednesday.

Carts can be used at Settlers Bay, but use is restricted to cart paths only.

PGC is offering a special rate of $20 green fees until the course is running with all 18 real greens. Settlers Bay rates are $35 today and $46 on the weekend.

Fishhook has been running strong, open each day from 10 a.m. into the early evening.