It's December and the golf course is packed but jackets and gloves are not
RIVER FALLS, Wisc. — Golf in December is out of the ordinary.
"This is a bucket list type of thing," said Mike Gore from Burnsville.
So it makes sense, Minnesotans and Wisconsinites are taking advantage.
"There's not been many times we had the chance to do this, so we're enjoying every second of it," said Gore.
At Kilkarney Hills in River Falls, Wisconsin Friday, they packed the course.
"We've got about 80 or 90 players out today," said Mason Thein with Kilkarney Hills Golf Club.
"This is the first time I've ever experienced anything like this in my time playing golf, so it's cool to be a part of a group of Minnesotans and people from Wisconsin who are able to do this for probably the first time in their lives," said Nate Stevens, a member of the University of Notre Dame's men's golf team.
"I bet we've been open seven or eight different days in December," said Thein.
MORE NEWS: The supply is up and that "new car price" is stable if buyers are willing to pay
Every time they've opened up during cold weather months this year, Thein said he always thinks it will be the last time they do it for the year.
"And then the 10 day comes out, and there's three or four days near 50, and then we're like 'why not, let's open up again, the golfers love it," said Thein.
TOP 20 MOST CLICKED STORIES OF 2023: Legal pot, loony flag designs, Taylor Swift: These were your most-clicked stories in 2023
In River Falls Friday, it's no snow and 40 degrees. Compare that to one year ago today, when it was a foot of snow, four below zero.
"I am a snow person, I like the snow, I like the time off when we close the golf course because of the snow, but this is fun to see this many people out," said Thein.
Thanks to the weather, Tyler Reiter, who lives in Prescott, has added golf to his Christmas list.
"What better than three days until Christmas, and I'm going to be playing golf probably the next two days as well," said Reiter.
