THAT FURRY LITTLE rodent ruined it Tuesday morning for those of us who are hoping for an early end to winter.
Truthfully, it doesn’t matter all that much for North Olympic Peninsula golfers.
Whether or not Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, local linksmen and women still will be partaking in winter rates at area courses through February at least, if not the groundhog-prognosticated “six more weeks.”
Winter rates will remain in effect for most area courses through the end of this month.
Sequim’s SkyRidge Golf Course is a holdout, with its winter rates package set to expire on March 8, according to owner Jeff Pedersen.
Winter rates will run through March for Peninsula Golf Club of Port Angeles.
A detailed winter rates price breakdown for golf bargain hunters follows:
• SkyRidge Golf Course winter rates are $15 for nine holes and $20 for 18 every day of the week until March 8.
Call the course at 360-683-3673.
SkyRidge also will hold its 27-hole Winter Links event this Saturday.
The event has an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start and will cost $160 for a four-person team.
The format changes every nine holes, and each team switches partners within their group to form two-person teams for each format.
The opening nine is a scramble, the second nine is best ball, and the third nine is alternating shot.
After combining the two nine-hole scores for each format, each four-person team will end up posting a 54-hole total score.
Each four-person team must have a total handicap index of 24 or greater.
Carts are $15 per seat for the 27 holes.
• SunLand Golf andCountry Club of Sequim is open to the public on weekends from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Winter rates of $15 plus tax for nine holes and $25 plus tax for 18 holes will be in effect through February.
Carts are an extra $15 per seat for 18 holes and $7.50 for nine holes.
Call SunLand at 360-683-6800, ext. 13.
• Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course in Sequim has winter rates of $16 for a weekday nine, $18 for a weekend nine, $27 for a weekday 18 and $29 for weekend 18.
Cedars also has twilight deals starting at 12:30 p.m. every day for $18 and super twilight at 2 p.m. for $14.
Call the clubhouse at 360-683-6344.
• Peninsula Golf Club is semi-private but is open for public winter play on Mondays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to sunset and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to sunset.
Members have the full run of the course on Thursdays.
Winter rates through March are $13 for nine holes and $26 for 18 holes.
Nonmembers can reserve a tee time three days in advance by calling the course at 360-457-6501.
• Port Ludlow Golf Course rates are $18 for nine holes and $32 for 18 holes Mondays through Thursdays and $20 and $39 for Friday and Saturday rounds through February.
Call the course at 360-437-0272.
• Discovery Bay Golf Course of Port Townsend winter rates are in effect seven days a week with 18 holes setting you back $22 and nine holes $15.
Seniors get price breaks with the greens fees knocked down to $17 and $12.
Discovery credit card users can take 20 percent off greens fees by using their cards.
The course’s twilight specials begin at noon and are $15 without cart and $20 with cart.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, a duo can play all day with a cart for $40.
Discovery Bay will hold a Valentine’s Day event mid-month.
Call the course at 360-385-0704.
• Port Townsend Golf Course keeps it simple with its winter rates, $11 for nine holes and $16 for 18 holes through February.
The venerable course will host a Super Bowl Sunday competition this Sunday before the big game between New Orleans and Indianapolis.
Port Townsend also will host its 27th annual Arctic Open best-ball tournament on Saturday, Feb. 13 and Sunday, Feb. 14.
The 36-hole, two-person best ball tournament has an entry fee of $200.
For more information on any event at PTGC, call the pro shop at 360-385-4547 or visit porttownsendgolf.com for more information.
I’ll end with a nod to a quote uttered by Bill Murray’s character Phil Connors in the movie “Groundhog Day.”
Connors had stolen Punxsutawney Phil from event organizers and was leading the displeased, squawking marmot on a high-speed chase from the police when he uttered “Don’t drive angry.”
If you replace a word of his quote, you get a valuable piece of advice for your golf game, “Don’t golf angry.”
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Michael Carman is the golf columnist for Peninsula Daily News. His column appears on Wednesdays. He can be reached at 360-417-3527 or pdngolf@gmail.com.