Amateur duffers around Puget Sound are filling up the tee sheet now that green repairs on Lake Spanaway Golf Course are complete and the course is fully open for business.

“The golfers who play this championship course are very happy,” said Pierce County Golf Supervisor Tony Bubenas. “They see what we’ve done to fix the fungus issue that sidelined much of the course in the fall, as well as what we’re doing to prevent similar problems in the future. They’re excited to be back out on the links.”

Last fall, the greens came under stress – as they always do when aerated, Bubenas points out – and became particularly susceptible to disease when met by an unexpected period of heavy rain combined with unseasonably warm temperatures. Of the course’s 18 greens, 13 began suffering from a fast-spreading fungal root rot. Part of the solution included purchasing sod from the greens at Sumner Meadows, which had just been closed and sold to developers.

In early April, the county announced that all renovated greens had been resodded and resurfaced, and the turf roots needed only to knit together and smooth out before play could resume. Early estimates put the reopen date around mid- to late-May, however after a little help from Mother Nature all of the repaired greens were ready for public play on April 26.

“Lake Spanaway Golf Course is now at 100 percent playing capacity ahead of schedule,” Bubenas said.

Bubenas noted golfers ready to try the new greens should get a tee time as soon as possible because business has picked up significantly since the reopening. Tee times can be booked up to seven days in advance by calling the course directly, or up to 10 days in advance by booking online. Weather is expected to be beautiful by Mother’s Day and all week following, with highs close to 70 degrees.