Keith Longley, left, practices his golf swing as his son, Hunter, reaches for a new club to hit at the North Georgia Golf and Driving Range on Dietz Road in Fort Oglethorpe.The azaleas are blooming, the pollen is floating in the air and the golf bug has sunk its stinger.
Devoted area golfers have endured a harsh winter. The hardiest of players have played in wet conditions, sometimes with temperatures that struggled to reach 40 degrees.
But the hackers have waited. They’ve waited to see the Masters on television, they’ve waited for temperatures to rise above 75 degrees for a day or two, and they’re ready to play.
Even with a short cold spell early this week, the unoffical golf season began this past weekend with the Masters and Bubba Watson earning the green jacket with an impressive display of power and precision.
The recreational golf season has arrived as well, and golfers across the area are retrieving their clubs from winter storage. A handful of area professionals in the game have advice for those who are dusting off clubs.