More Players, More Fun
The Edmonton Golf Association makes sure there’s an option for parents looking to get their kids into golf or who want more family-friendly courses too. The association hosts junior days with its members where they provide clubs and kids can hit balls at the driving range, free of charge. There are also golf pros around to offer advice and lessons for first-timers. “We want to provide that entry level, because going to a golf course can be scary for a lot of people,” DenBraber says, explaining that there’s still a preconception that it caters only to an exclusive group.
Part of getting more people to golf and opening the sport up is removing some of the barriers, and courses like the city-owned Rundle Park Golf Course in the river valley are accomplishing this by removing dress codes and encouraging a welcoming culture. DenBraber says the city-owned courses are a great starting point for newcomers, and the city accommodates them by keeping the prices low.
Locations to Love
Riverside Golf Course, also in the river valley and owned by the city, is another option for people getting into the game. It offers a summer deal where couples pay $99 for a Sunday Date Night. Riverside is a more challenging course than the other two city-owned options, Rundle and Victoria.
Dragons Head Par 3 Golf Course, located in Edmonton’s northwest, is billed as a good course for beginners or more experienced players looking for a quick round. All its green fee prices are below $50, and annual memberships range from $765 for single adults to $1,470 for families.
Finally, for those golfers with experience looking to get onto a championship-style course but still looking for public options, there’s The Quarry, located in Edmonton’s northeast. The course opened in 2012, has 27 holes, yardages ranging from 5,100 to 7,600 yards, two putting greens, a chipping green and three decks of grass teeing area.
If you do go golfing this summer and find yourself behind a group of kids (or other beginners for that matter) just remember DenBraber playing as a kid at Fort In View. Everyone has to start playing somewhere, and the more people play the better it is. After all, golf is for everyone.