The Fairways says, 'think spring and green grass'

The parking lot is not plowed, and the tee markers sit lonely amidst a sea of white and a winter that has not at all lost any of its grip.

A golf-less winter has been a little rare in recent years, "It's the first real solid winter we've had since 2009-10," The Fairways Golf Course general manager and head professional Kris Kallem said.

But Kallem is thinking positive, and planning for when all the white turns to green and the sound of crisp drives off the tee, and the satisfying rattle of a putt circling the cup.

Kallem cannot wait, so he wants to get customers, both existing and new, to think spring. Or better yet, the upcoming Spokane Golf Show at the Spokane Convention Center, Feb. 18–19.

"We encourage everyone to come down to the show, there's lots of great vendors, come see us," Kallem stressed. All who attend the show receive a complimentary round of play at the Fairways, he added.

With the Jan. 1 bump in the minimum wage, Kallem warned that prices at all Spokane city and county courses will jump, too. The municipal courses will offer 18 holes for $36 on weekends. "That's a $5 – $6 increase," Kallem said.

And while his course is not immune to the price increase either, Kallem said his rates will be similar, "But just a little bit under them," he added.

For avid golf-a-holics, Kallem suggests season passes, or any of a number of multiple-round options.

Kallem said their "rack rate," which is for golfers who just show up and want a tee-time and do not have coupons or specials, will pay a somewhat similar weekend rate of $33 and weekdays $29. Nine holes will be $21 and seniors $22 for age-62 and older.

He encourages players to visit golfthefairways.com where they offer dynamic pricing similar to what Expedia offers for hotels. "It updates hourly based on saturation of bookings," with rates being variable based on the usage. The busier the course, the higher the rate climbs.

"There are really great deals," Kallem said. He wants to push savvy golf consumers in that direction to save them money. "You can base when you play and your buying decision accordingly."

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].