The longer winter finally ends at Desert Aire Golf
Rodney Harwood/The Sun Tribune - From left, Jack Snyder, Dylan Parrish and Doug Takasugi watch as Taylor Takasugi attempts a putt on the hole No. 2 green at Desert Aire Golf course on Saturday. All are from Wenatchee.
Rodney Harwood/The Sun Tribune - The golfers stretching their muscles and trying to shake off the winter doldrums at the Desert Aire driving range before the their first round of the year included players from Cle Elum, Ellensburg and Wenatchee.
DESERT AIRE — After 77 long days — 11 weeks — golf has returned to central Washington, and the happiest golfers last Saturday hailed from north central Washington.
In big numbers, they showed up at Desert Aire Golf Course. Once pro Don Tracy declared the course playable, players flocked to central Washington’s golf oasis.
“We still have snow,” Wenatchee golfer Taylor Takasugi said.
She was part of a foursome from Wenatchee. There were other groups from Wenatchee, Cle Elum, Ellensburg and other snow-bound points.
“They came from all over,” Tracy said.
It was a perfect day for the Desert Aire operation to start the season. With most of Desert Aire’s members still wintering in Arizona and other points southwest, there was plenty of availability for visitors.
It was a strong cash day for Desert Aire. All of the riding carts were swept up by noon.
Even though Desert Aire is the first course to open in central Washington – Tri-Cities is south eastern Washington — it set a record for idleness. According to Tracy, the longest stretch of (almost) no golf was 56 days, but it was broken up by some days in which there was play.
After the snow started to fall, and fall, and fall in early December, Tracy spent three weeks in Arizona. There was still a long wait when he got back. So he caught up on “projects” at the course.
Friday was the official opening day. Players came out at noon. They were instructed the follow the 90-degree rule strictly. That meant carts needed to stay on the cart paths.
Tracy announced the opening on social media and send out a 6,000-email blast. Saturday morning Desert Aire looked like a beehive.
Most players wore jackets, sweatshirts and sweaters. The brutal winter of 2016-17 had not yet ended, but it felt enough like spring to get out of the house.
One player said, “I don’t know how my game is. I just want to have some fun.”