Golf courses rake in the green, thanks to warm winter

Some Central Oregon businesses that rely on winter tourism are in the red after this winter. However, on the green of the golf course, business has been good all year round.

“I love to snowboard bu being able to golf all winter has been nice as well,” golfer Chase Mast said Tuesday.

Like many courses on the High Desert, Brasada Ranch has only had to close for one week, back in November.

“Usually in January and February, we have to close for a significant period of time,” said Zach Swoffer, the golf director at Brasada Ranch.

This year has been unlike any other in recent memory. Swoffer says in the nine or 10 years he’s been here, he hasn’t seen anything like it.

“It’s just weird,” he said. “We shouldn’t be able to play this time of year. You know it’s kind of a privilege, in a way.”

Brasada Ranch has made money off of the warm winter. Revenue is up 48 percent.

“A lot of golf courses open in May and June, and they’re opening up right now,” Swoffer said.

Another perk: Golfers are coming into the typically shoulder and peak seasons in peak form.

“Work on that swing through out the year — it’s a huge help,” Mast said.

Many courses are hiring their summer staff back early, hopefully making up for those winter blues.