Hitting the links

One of the many signs of spring is golfers hitting the links at area golf courses.

Golfers have been slowly coming out to the courses to take advantage of some of the nice weather this month.

'We have people out here every day,” Shannon Lee, head of house at the Fairfield Golf and Country Club, said Friday. 'We've had people out since the first nice weather.”

She added that the Fairfield High School boys and girls golf teams have been practicing on the course regularly.

Maclain Leyden, manager of the Washington Golf and Country Club, said that the course is open as well, but only to golfers who walk the course.

'The course is open for walking right now,” Leyden said. 'If the weather stays nice, we'll be able to allow carts on the course. High school practice started on Monday.”

While both the Fairfield and Washington courses are technically open, the clubhouses are not yet ready.

'Starting April 1, the clubhouse will be fully open,” Leyden said. 'We're getting things ready right now.”

The case is the same at the Fairfield course.

'Our official grand opening is April 1, although people are using it right now,” Lee said. 'If you're a member, you can just take a cart out and get on the course.”

She added that the weather will play a big part in determining when the course can be played.

'Weather is a big factor all the time,” Lee said.

The season is just getting underway at the Kalona Golf Club.

'We're trying to get things opened up today,” Manager Jeff Leach said on Friday.

Leach said that the course will be open as weather permits, adding that some cold nights leave frost on the course in the morning, prohibiting any early tee times.

'It's not right to have people out on the golf course when there's frost on it,” Leach said. 'We're taking baby steps right now.”

Jim Johnston, a member of the Kalona club, teed off for the first time this year at noon Saturday with several friends.

He said it took him a few holes to find his swing.

'I still shot five over (par),” Johnston said. 'That's pretty good for a first day.”