Palmer Golf Course celebrates its opening day

PALMER —Major League Baseball Opening Day was Thursday. On Friday, local golfers had the chance to celebrate their own opening day.

Palmer Golf Course was open to players for the first time in 2019 on Friday.

“Everybody is really excited to play,” PGC Director of Golf George Collum said early Friday evening.

Collum said that more than 60 teed off on the first day, taking advantage of the course’s $10 fee for all-you-can-play golf. A dozen holes were open (1 through 7 and 14 through 18) on Friday. Collum said the course is still soggy in places, but that didn’t keep players off the course.

“We didn’t have any complaints. People were pretty happy with it,” Collum said.

Friday also marked one of the earliest starts to the season at PGC in recent memory.

“It’s our fourth-earliest opening,” Collum said.

The earliest came on March 6, 2016. The course has also opened on March 22 and March 24 on recent years. Regardless, Friday’s opening is well ahead of the norm, Collum said.

“Pretty much our average is mid-April,” Collum said. “This year is earlier for sure, but every year is different.”

Collumn said the early opening day is great for local players and business.

“We always hope to get out year,” Collum said.

Collum said players buying their season passes now get a longer season, and they get the first shot at the new equipment in the course’s pro shop.

Collum said he’s happy with the turnout on the first day, with about 64 players in the books just before the course closed for the day.

“It’s really good, especially since we don’t have power carts running yet,” Collum said.

Collum said it will still be a few weeks until the course is dry enough to be open for power carts. He said the driving range is also fairly soggy. Collum said he is hopefull that all 18 holes will be open for play sometime next week.

PGC is hosting a handful of notable events during the 2019 season. The first is the US Open qualifier May 13. PGC is also hosting the Alaska State Amateur Championships in July.

For more information, see palmergolfcourse.com.

Contact Frontiersman managing editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.