ABOVE: Rick Libby gets his swing going on the first day of golf on Wednesday at Interlaken Golf Club in Fairmont.

FAIRMONT – Though the weather is still cool, area golf courses are putting everything together for another year of teeing off.

Interlaken opened its course on April 9. General Manager Paul Baldus said they generally try to open around April 10, and this year, they ended up right on schedule. They have been monitoring conditions to ensure the course is in the recommended condition.

“At this time of the year, if there’s any damage to the course the grass isn’t growing,” he said. “That damage is going to sit there for a while. We like to avoid overnight temperatures too low that the grass isn’t growing. Every time somebody takes a divot, that’s not going to grow back until we get the overnight temperatures up.

Several changes have been made for this year. Josh Baldus has been added as Head Golf Professional to lead the junior program. Paul Baldus is retiring at the end of this golf season, and Josh Baldus will be taking over the General Manager Position.

A golfing simulator has been added to the clubhouse for member use. Paul Baldus said at one time they were member-only, but now allow members from the public to golf at Interlaken.

The youth program has expanded as well. Paul Baldus said they will now be joining First Team Minnesota to provide golf clubs and scholarships for youth interested in learning golf. He said this comes after a successful program run last year.

“There are five clinics,” Paul Baldus said. “They will give more instruction but still emphasize fun. Get the clubs in their hands. Get them out here more often, see that they’re interested.”

Last year Nick Swenson became new owner of the Interlaken Golf Club. Paul Baldus said he has been hard at work on the property.

“We put on a new roof and fixed numerous leaks in the building,” he said. “During the winter, we took out 180 ash trees that were dying because of (Emerald) Ash Borer. He bought the simulator. He’s very aggressive in what he’s doing for the membership.”

Interlaken has also secured a new Pro-Am golf event for May 16. Paul Baldus said it will feature 28 pairs of professional and amateur golfers from the area as well as the Twin Cities area.

At Rose Lake, Manager Jack Von Bank said the prep work to get their course ready started two months ago.

“Get the kitchen ready,” he said. “Get the clubhouse all ready, cleaned up. Our greenskeeper gets all the golf carts ready, the mowers, blades and oils all changed.”

The only major difference from last year to this is new golf carts. Von Bank said they have a system for sending old carts out and bringing new ones in.

“We have a couple contacts that like to buy our used carts,” he said. “We sell them out, and then we have a company we deal with for our new carts.”

Rose Lake opened its course April 1. So far, Von Bank said demand has been strong.

“The first month is really busy,” he said. “Everybody’s been cooped up from the winter. They like to get outside and finally get a chance to win the club, get on the course, and enjoy the golf season.”

The biggest thing Von Bank says they are concerned with is making sure people know Rose Lake is there.

“We’re out of town in the middle between Fairmont and Blue Earth,” he said. “As long as the public understands we are an open course for anybody that likes to come out and play.”

Fox Lake in Sherburn started their preparations last week. Owner Ann Jacobsen said it’s a volunteer effort to get everything ready at the nine-hole course.

“They go out and pick up all the sticks we have this (this weekend),” she said. “They’re scheduled for the next three weeks to come out and help clean up, pick up sticks, take down trees that are dead.”

With the current grass conditions, Jacobsen said they aren’t able to mow and don’t have holes or flags in the greens yet. If everything comes together, she said they are looking to be open by April 15.

This year, they introduced new scorecards for golfers. They’re larger and include information on the back for out-of-bounds water and land hazards. Otherwise, Jacobsen said the course hasn’t changed much.

“The course has been open since 1932,” she said. “A few years ago they expanded from this side of the tar to the other side, and have six and seven holes over there.”

For more information, visit https://www.interlakengolf.com/, https://www.roselakegolfclub.com/, and https://www.facebook.com/foxlakegolfclub/.