Edinburgh USA Plans Friday Golf Opening

One telltale sign that spring has finally sprung is the sight and sound of golf balls being launched from the driving range at Edinburgh USA in Brooklyn Park.

“The driving range is full,” said Matt Olsonoski, the golf superintendent at Edinburgh USA. “And on a day like today, overcast and 55, I wouldn’t expect it to be. But I guess the golfers are ready to go.”

While the golfers may be ready to go, Olsonoski says he can’t quite say the same about certain parts of the course just yet.

“The fairway bunker between 1 and 18 on Edinburgh USA is normally played as a hazard of sand, right now it’s a pond,” Olsonoski said.

That temporary water hazard exists because the course’s drainage system is still frozen. Meanwhile, other parts of the course are still showing signs of winter.

A section near Hole 3 is probably the worst looking part of the course. The path is covered in snow and ice. But all things considered, it’s not that bad, considering that the metro area was dealing with a blizzard the weekend of April 14.
 
To say that storm was “unique” would be an understatement.

“In my 15 years of being an assistant and a golf course superintendent, I’ve never seen a season quite like this,” Olsonoski said.

Now, Olsonoski and his crew are playing catch-up to get the course ready.

“We’re getting everything blown off, cleaned up, and ready for play,” he said.

Despite the extreme weather, he says the course came out looking decent. He says golfers will be ready for opening day on Friday, April 27.

“We’re hoping that we open. Be busy. And we’re full,” Olsonoski said.

This weekend, Edinburgh USA is hosting a high school golf tournament. But because the course is still soft and wet, golfers will have to keep the carts on the paved trails.