It’s not because of the record-breaking warm winter most of Wyoming has had. The problem is not having a crystal ball.
The few golf pros across the state who were reachable this week say they’d be happy to let golfers on their courses, but they can’t. They're closed and it’s not that easy to re-open them.
Everyone expected a typical Wyoming winter, so tarps were placed on putting greens for protection, and the courses, as usual, were closed for the season.
No one had any idea the winter would be this warm and dry.
Rawlins
Kevin Gannon didn’t.
The golf pro at the Rochelle Golf Course in Rawlins did what he’s always done: Put the tarps on the greens in late October and shutter everything.
It’s too big of an undertaking, he said, to put the tarps on — and then take them off because of warm weather — and put them back on again when cold weather approaches.
It’s labor intensive and costly.
“We’ve got 19 greens that we cover so we can’t take them off and then put them back on and again and again and again,” Gannon said.
Gannon, who opened the course back in 2004, said he’s never seen a winter like this before.
“This is the first year we’ve had anything like this at all,” he said.
That stats proved his point. From Oct. 1 through Feb. 6, Rawlins usually receives about 34 inches of snow.
This year it’s received a paltry 3.
Maybe that’s why meteorologist Don Day said earlier this week that he no longer likes his job.
“I gave a talk last night to a bunch of farmers in Colorado and the first question I asked was, ‘Who wants my job?’" Day told Jake Nichols on the Cowboy State Daily morning show on Wednesday.
“I’m taking applications,” Day said. “After this winter I’m reconsidering my career choice."
It’s not just Rawlins. The record warmth is almost everywhere in Wyoming.
On Thursday alone, Casper, Buffalo, Lander, Riverton, Rock Springs, Laramie, and Worland set record-high temperatures.
No One Is Here
Despite the warm weather, phones aren’t getting answered at most of the golf courses in Wyoming.
Two reporters attempted to call every golf course in the state on Wednesday and Thursday. The overwhelming majority of the calls went unanswered or to some kind of voicemail.
Most of the few answering voices explained they weren’t open.
But a friendly voice from Torrington welcomed us to the course.
“Of course we’re open,” the voice said. “Come out and play, it’s great!”
When asked to elaborate, the voice said he would have the golf pro call us back. Never happened.
Cheyenne
It was a different story in Cheyenne.
Mike Lepore, who has been associated with the two municipal courses — the Airport and Prairie View — his entire life, was happy to chat.
The Airport Golf Course, where he’s the pro, was closed. Prairie View, on the other hand, was open and had a record-breaking January.
“We’re basically up 400 rounds to start the year,” he said.
Course visitors played 403 rounds of golf in January. That’s compared to zero in January 2025.
Lepore said they have a portable watering system there that can be moved to the different greens to keep them irrigated.
But even with those, it’s not enough.
“This winter has just been unbelievable,” Lepore said. “If we don’t see some moisture, we’re going to have some damage.”
The 61-year-old knows what he’s talking about. He grew up on the golf course. He and his late father, Lew, have been affiliated with the Airport Golf Course for 60 years.
He said the Airport used to put temporary greens out but they didn’t get much play.
“It was a hassle to go out there and put holes in frozen ground,” he said. “So we just open Prairie View and leave it open so if people want to play, they can go out there.”
Newcastle
If you want to play in Newcastle, you’re in luck. Clubhouse manager Katie Ochoa says the course is open year-round.
Tarps are on the greens but temporary holes pock the fairways.
“As long as the weather is like this, and not muddy, we’re open,” she said.
She said the winter rate is a bargain for the nine-hole course at only $15.
According to a 2024 analysis by Supreme Golf, an online tee time booking platform, she’s right. The average cost for a round of golf in Wyoming is $41 for 18 holes and $20-$35 for nine holes.
Plus, Ochoa boasts, if it’s snowing they have a simulator.
“So we are always open to the public,” she said.
Jimmy Orr can be reached at jimmy@cowboystatedaily.com.
