Local Golf Report: The U.S. Open countdown now begins

Grass is greening up. Trees are starting to bud. The wind is really howling late. My allergies are starting to act up.

Welcome to the 2015 golf season on the Hi-Line.

And this year, all of us who love the game should be excited about the upcoming spring, summer and fall on the links.

I know that I am, and I couldn’t wait to write the first Tee to Green of the year, for a number of reasons.

But the biggest reason I was so excited to get my golf column up and running is because I recently received some news that I think the duffers who actually read this column every week will appreciate.

Your humble golf scribe will be at this year’s U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in Tacoma, Washington, and not only will I be there, I will actually be working. Much to my surprise, I secured a press pass for what is the toughest test in golf, and perhaps the greatest week of golf each year.

Yes, come mid-June, I’ll be able to check a big mark on my bucket list, because as much as I love the game, I have never been to a professional golf tournament, ever. And now, my first is going to be the U.S. Open, and not only will I be there, but I will get to cover the tournament and cover the players I respect and admire so much.

But there’s another special twist for me when I head west that week. I will be watching and covering the U.S. Open on a golf course I’ve actually played. Now, for me, that will be pretty cool. I think it will be pretty fun to watch the likes of Master’s champion Jordan Spieth, and Lefty and Tiger and Rory, and all of the greats negotiate what is far and away the toughest course I’ve ever stepped foot on. It will be cool to see a brand new U.S. Open venue, and on top of that, a venue that I played 18 holes on long before any of these guys ever swung a club on it.

And no, I’m not going to reveal my score from that day at Chamber’s Bay, but to give you a little insight on just how difficult the course is, I pretty much felt like I was going to die from a mix of a heart attack, leg cramps and shortness of breath. Yes, it was the toughest five-hour walk of my life, and that’s another reason why I’m going to enjoy seeing the greats of golf go through some of the same exact struggles I did.

Now that my great news is out of the way, on to our local golf scene.

All three of our closest tracks, Prairie Farms Golf Course, Beaver Creek Golf Course and Chinook Golf Club are open and greening up fast. That’s due in large part to some extra special weather we’ve been having this spring. Yes, golf has certainly come earlier than usual to the Hi-Line.

And at Prairie Farms, the men’s golf league will be starting very soon. All players should know four important dates. The kickoff scrambles for the men’s league will be held April 21 and 22, while the first official nights of league play will be held April 28-29.

Women’s league at Prairie Farms is also coming soon. The women's golf association will hold their annual pre-season meeting April 23 at Prairie Farms Golf Course. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. in the Pro Shop. All current teams should be represented and anyone wishing to start a women's league team is also encouraged to attend.

Finally, a reminder to all of you who are part of our local golf scene. If you wish to have anything published in this weekly column, which will run every Tuesday though September, please email me at [email protected] by the Sunday night prior to the column being published, so I have time to get your info in. That includes all golf league results in our area, as well as tournament information, aces and any other golf news that any of you feel is worthy of the rest of the golf community knowing it. Whatever it may be, I want to publish it in this column.

So there it is, the first Tee to Green of the season. Here’s to many great weeks of, as the famous Bagger Vance once said, “The greatest game there is, and the greatest game there will ever be.”

And we’ll see all of you on the course.