Excitement is starting to build with the golf season upon us here in the Foothills.

Local duffers have the chance to get out to Highwood and River's Edge this weekend, while others like Turner Valley and Nanton open next week.

Add Heritage Pointe in DeWinton to the mix as Head Pro Steve Richardson says his phones have been ringing for weeks.

"It's been crazy which is very exciting to see. We had the Alberta Golf Show last weekend and the attendance was up for that. I think everyone's just got the itch this year to play some golf. Tarp's are coming off. Once people can see the tarp's pulled from the highway that's usually when the phone begins to ring."

Richardson says the tough economy has forced them to make a few rate changes, as well as shuffle some tournaments around.

But he says because they're a public course they always work hard to accommodate as many people as possible on their 27 hole facility near DeWinton.

The clubhouse and pro shop at Heritage Pointe are one of the more opulant that you'll find for a public course. Pro Steve Richardson likes to say "It's a public course, that feels like it's private." Photo - Russell Skeet.

He says the three courses will all be full tee's and green's when they open, and as always will be a challenge for golfers of every skill.

He says there is one benfit to this economy, and that's no shortage of experienced staff as they've been flooded with resumes of people with many years in the golf industry looking to get back in.

He says it's a far cry from 2006 when they, and many other area golf courses were having a hard time finding staff.

He says they'll open for the season Friday, April 8.