If you have a hard enough time finding your golf ball on a clear day, you can imagine the challenge some Kamloops residents have had trying to enjoy one of the region’s most popular outdoor pastimes this summer.
Kamloops Golf & Country Club General Manager Brice MacDermott says the past couple of weeks of heavy smoke blanketing the area have been tough for the club and they are not seeing as much business as years prior, but he says last year wasn’t overly strong either for weather-related issues.
“Last year July wasn’t very hot and it rained a lot, then August was hot so everybody went to the beach,” says MacDermott. “So it’s hard to compare year over year the impact the smoke has had on the number of golfers.”
He adds many golfers are adapting to the smoky conditions by driving a cart instead of walking and using a yellow ball in order to have a better chance of finding it.
“I am actually going out this afternoon myself and I would usually walk because our course is so flat but I will be using a cart for sure.”
While the casual golfer may be staying home rather than try and contend with the smoke it appears the regulars are not phased. MacDermott says the club’s men’s night on Wednesday, Aug. 2, had 150 golfers sign up despite it being one of the worst days this summer in terms of air quality.
The current Environment Canada special air quality statement for Kamloops advises against any strenuous outdoor activity and recommends anybody with respiratory issues as well as infants and the elderly to remain indoors where it is well ventilated.
