Warm weather still bringing out golfers

• Record setting high for Wednesday
• Staying open until dump of snow

Kelowna saw record breaking daytime highs Wednesday afternoon, with the mercury climbing to just shy of 20C. It is great news for golfers who welcome the extra days of hitting the links before winter closes courses for the year.

The Golf Centre Driving Range is one of the few places still open. Head golf professional Derek Nicolson told Kelowna10 there still is a strong golf presence in the Okanagan, and the driving range plans to stay open as long as it can.

“We’re very fortunate here in our facility … where we have a dry piece of property and we’re able to pick up the golf balls on a daily basis,” Nicolson said. “As long as we can pick up the golf balls, we’re going to stay open.”

Nicolson noted The Golf Centre has benefited from COVID-19, like many courses, and there are still many golfers want to continue to hit balls into December.

“They’re very appreciative, not all our customers want to spend their time at the mall. They’re coming out in droves to work on their game and with what’s going on with the pandemic, it’s a stress relief for a lot of people and they can enjoy the weather,” he said.

With a significant shift in the weather heading into the weekend, Nicolson said it still won’t stop them from letting golfers come through.

“We’ll stay open, as long as I can get the machine out there. A little snow is not going to cause any issue,” he said. “When we get a significant amount of snow, that’s when it’s time to close. I’ve also seen where it gets mild again, and the snow doesn’t last all that long and we re-open.”