It was a busy opening weekend for Maplewood Golf Course and General Manager Alex Edney is excited for what's to come and to welcome all to the course.
"Always a huge pleasure, always exciting to see the faces back at the golf course," Edney says with a big, excited smile. "There was a great mix of old faces and new faces, it was terrific to see the parking lot packed, it was a great weekend filled with a lot of happy faces."
Making sure things are ready on the course is not a quick process, Edney says there's a lot of prep work done weeks in advance. "What a lot of people don't realize, we start the process in early March, we're hiring and training, all that stuff. The final week leading up to opening day is the detail work, making sure the clubhouse is clean, the greens are all cut and rolled for opening weekend. Really, it's a months long process that maybe people don't realize, but we believe it shows in the product."
People have taken notice and are talking highly about Maplewood Golf Course, which Edney says he take an awful lot of pride in. "I can't even say how big it is that people know us and are talking about us. I've been here eight years and every year I'm a little more proud, a little more happy to be here, because the recognition is now that we're a beautiful golf course that people want to be at. Every year the tree's grow a little bit more, the greens get a little better, people want to be here and they have no problem driving from Winnipeg, Steinbach or from anywhere to come play here."
Coming off the winter months, Edney is quite happy with how the course wintered. "Luckily, our super intendant Mike Plas, he was awesome at spraying the fairways and the greens at the right time in the fall. The whole process starts in the fall already. So, the best part of opening now is the greens are in fantastic shape. There is a tough of winter kill in the odd rough area, but there's not much we can do about that. All in all, it's already green out there and it's looking fantastic."
There are many around the province that know about Maplewood but for new golfers, Edney says this course is scenic and a wonderful mix of challenge and fun. "We're really big on having juniors play and encouraging the future of golf here," the general manager says proudly. "We have some great views here, very user friendly because there are shorter holes, but it's also tough because there is lots of water. It's a great beginner course because we don't have those lengthy holes that can be frustrating to newer golfers. Always recommend for those golfers to come in the evening after our twilight, that way you don't have a golfer pushing up on you, we know that can make things a little stressful, especially for someone early in their golf life."
Another great feature according to Edney is the back half of the course. "Our back nine is pretty terrific, it runs along the Rat River. But, the front nine is a little more open so it eases golfers into the challenge of the back nine. It's a great course for all skill levels and it's a lot of fun for everyone."
In the last couple of years, more tournaments have been going to Maplewood and Edney is thrilled to be partnering with some terrific organizations. "I love them. I absolutely love to do tournaments, especially when it's a charity or going to a good cause, in my eyes, its a win-win. It's a win for the course but it's a win for organizations who can bring in some money. It's my passion here, the tournament part, organizing and helping them get off the ground. We're definitely looking to try and broaden our week day thing, maybe a few more corporate tournaments, but we've been having so much fun partnering with local hockey teams and even people from Winnipeg, they understand it's not that far and we're continuing to grow."
The course is not the only attraction as Edney and the team have put in a ton of work around the golf itself. "This is probably the most exciting year because it's the second year for our new restaurant, we already had huge upticks of people stopping in after their rounds, we also have brand new golf carts with fancy rims, it looks like a Florida country club out here at Maplewood," he says with a laugh. "Mike has put in a ton of work on the course, we're changing hole 6 into a par 5 that will make us a 71, which is great. He's built some new tee boxes to add a bit of length for the blue, long hitters. Every year we're putting more and more into the course. People ask for it and we want to give it to them. It's a very exciting time heading into 2025."
Having the family vibe is another point of pride for Edney and he is exciting to welcome regulars back and turn new people into family, too. "Again, it means everything to me. Every golfer that walks through the door is like family to me. I love to be around them, I love to be a part of it and whether you're a brand new golfer or have been here before, you're a part of something special. I believe in treating people how we'd like to be treated and I can't thank our staff enough for buying into that and believing in it. I can't wait to see everyone and share some laughs over golf stories."
Booking a tee time is as simple as going to their website, Homepage - Maplewood Golf Club