October has arrived which means the 2022 golf season is coming to an end.

“It’s been a great season,” noted La Broquerie Golf general manager Pat Gauthier. “It’s been a whirlwind at times learning on the go, but it’s been a fun season.”

Gauthier is winding down his first year as general manager of the 18-hole layout.

“Days are getting shorter and colder,” said Gauthier. “We’re trying to encourage people to get their last rounds in before the end of the season. We have not set a closing date. We’re going to try and go as long as we can as long as the weather permits.”

The course will be closed Thursday as greens superintendent Darren Dundas and his staff will begin the process of getting all 18 holes ready for winter by first blowing water out of the irrigation lines.

The 2022 golf season began six weeks later than the previous year due to all the snow and rain the southern part of the province received in April.

Gauthier says it was an exciting weekend when La Broquerie Golf played host to Golf Manitoba’s Provincial Junior Bantam Championship, the Women’s City & District Championship and the first All-Abilities Championship in late June.

“A lot of people came out and experienced out little gem of a golf course here in the southeast. Lot of people just said, ‘Wow, you guys have something special here.’”

Two significant on-course changes made in 2021 continue to have a positive impact on La Broquerie Golf.

Flipping the nines so the old par four 10th hole became the starting hole was one and the other was eliminating the short par four finishing hole and in its place the course’s signature par three ninth hole which is played over water to a very receptive green was built.

“Everybody that’s come through our course is just amazed the condition it’s in and how much work we’re putting into the course to improve it,” said Gauthier. “Golfers that haven’t been around in the last three, four, five years come back and are impressed with the changes we’ve done. They’ll for sure be back next year.”

“The tee sheet was busy this year but nothing like last year,” added Gauthier. “Last year was an exceptional year. This year was very good. The course was busy every day of the summer, minus the few rain days we had. It’s been a good season overall.”