One More Round: Brookview Golf Course Reopens as Fall Warms Up
Golf is a sport that’s dependent on weather, and as most Minnesotans can attest, the weather isn’t usually all that dependable in mid-November.
“Often we’re shoveling snow,” said Brian Tjosvold, a golfer from Afton.
But on Nov. 13 at Golden Valley’s Brookview Golf Course, snow was nowhere to be found.
“The turf is still in great shape, seeing the green grass out there not covered under snow and the clear blue skies,” said Ben Disch, the golf operations manager at Brookview. “It really is perfect conditions right now.”
The warm weather is why officials from Brookview decided to give it one last go after initially closing the golf course on Nov. 5.
“This is, by far, the latest that we’ve stretched into the season in quite some time,” Disch said.
Brookview came out of its brief hibernation on Monday, and the hardcore golf enthusiasts found time to enjoy the course for perhaps the final time this year.
“Every day like this is one less day of winter,” said Rob Jorgenson, a golfer from Minneapolis. “It really is. just a chance to be out in the sun and enjoy today.”
Jorgenson is one of roughly 200 people who booked a tee time on Monday to take advantage of the unseasonable warmth.
“Brookview is great,” Jorgenson said. “I love the course. Any course around the cities this time of the year is music to my ears.”
Rob Jorgenson, a golfer from Minneapolis, takes a practice swing at Brookview on Monday, Nov. 13.
Making up for delayed opening in spring
Being in operation this late in the year is also music to the ears of anyone in the golf business, due to the fact that courses like Brookview opened later than normal last spring because of cold and snow.
“Any time you can prolong it into-mid November, I mean it’s just a wonderful thing for the golf course, for the moods, and for the business in general,” Disch said.
Tee times at Brookview have nearly sold out for the week, which adds thousands of dollars in unanticipated revenue to the course’s coffers.
With temperatures in the mid-50s on Monday, it’s no surprise that people would jump at the opportunity to play.
“Well it’s dry, there’s no humidity,” said Tjosvold, the golfer from Afton. “Gotta love that.”
Meanwhile, officials from Brookview believe the course will remain open at least through Sunday, Nov. 19.
Related: Long Snow Melt Delays Start to Golf Season
