BUFFALO LAKE, Minn. — Poker games are helping to pass the time at Oakdale Golf Club in Buffalo Lake since the greens are still white.
"Usually, they'd be golfing," club manager Kyle Schaufler said of his fellow players. "But the snow, yeah, no golf right now."
Mike Knodel, who owns the club, has also been wondering when the snow will finally melt.
"It's been a long, long winter," he said.
Knodel said this is the time of year when they usually transition from shovels to clubs, but thanks to excessive winter and spring snowfall, that's not the case this year.
"We kinda use April 5 as opening day, but everything is anything but normal now," Knodel said. "We've had snow cover for so long. People are anxious."
On Saturday, Knodel shared a Facebook post with photos of snowdrifts up to the club's maintenance shop windows.
But with warmer weather on the horizon, patrons and staff have hope the snow will melt soon.
"Two weeks from today, possibly. It could be a possibility," said Schaufler.
"Yep, the checkbook says it's time to open," Knodel said.
Knodel said he is expecting his club to open about two weeks behind schedule because of all the snow. The earliest he can remember opening was on Feb. 4 in 2012.
Looking for open golf courses around the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota? Click here for a running list of opening dates.
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