While most golf courses begin closing down with the setting sun, the Mann Lakes Golf Course did something a little different on Aug. 31. As darkness fell, the course brought out some glowing flags and balls, and teed off for a round of night golf.
Ron McDonald, the owner and operator of the course, says they’ve been doing night golf at Mann Lakes for about 10 years now, on and off, and the event often draws a good turnout.
The last time they held the event was in 2011, and according to McDonald, they often get golfers from various surrounding communities to attend, with many of them being cabin owners at the nearby lake.
He thinks that people are drawn to the event for the novelty of it, and that the night golf poses some unique challenges. “The ball only goes about 80 to 90 per cent (of the usual distance),” he said. “Tell you the truth, they mostly do just as good a score at night, because they don’t go quite as far.”
Davis Kinnee, one of the night golfers, was having a good time on Sunday night. “This is my first time, and it’s fun,” he said.
He claims that the biggest challenge to golfing at night is “losing your ball and having to dig in the bushes for it.”
However, one advantage to night golf is the possibility of retrieving a ball that would otherwise be impossible to find. “If it goes in the water, it’ll still stay lit for eight hours,” McDonald said.
There were about 26 golfers walking through the darkness on Aug. 31, a number that McDonald says is a little lower than usual. Overall, though, he says the summer at Mann Lakes has been a successful one. “Almost every weekend it rained, but it made up for it during the week.”
Following the long weekend, things will be slowing down around the course.
“Kids are back in school, so there are no campers left at the lake,” McDonald said. However, the golf course will stay open, weather permitting, until Thanksgiving weekend.
