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Ingalls adds ENT, audiology services at Flossmoor location

The grass at Coyote Run Golf Course might be expected 
to be brown about this time of year, but warm, wet 
weather has kept the course green and inviting 
to local golfers.
(Photo by Tom Houlihan/HF Chronicle)

A round of golf on Christmas?

Maybe in Florida or Arizona. But in the H-F area?

Coyote Run Golf Course in Flossmoor is closed for the rest of 2015, so nobody will be getting in a quick round while the holiday goose is cooking.

Still, golfers, buoyed by warmer-than-usual temperatures, remained hopeful this week that there might be a chance to play, said Tom Denklau, Coyote Run’s general manager and course professional.

“I’ve had calls today from people asking if we’re open,” Denklau said Wednesday. “It’s about 60 degrees and they were hoping it wouldn’t rain.”

Coyote Run closed for the season on Dec. 14. Denklau said the grounds crew needed to finish its year-end fertilization work on the course. Last year, the course remained open until Dec. 28 but crews wanted to take advantage of the warm temperatures to help get Coyote Run in good shape for 2016.

But the first two weeks of December were spectacularly busy, Denklau said.

“We always have some golfers in December,” he said. “Last year, we had 250 rounds for just about the entire month. This year, we had 621. That’s an increase of 161 percent.”

With December temperatures ranging between 10 and 20 degrees above historic averages, golfers flocked to the course, he said.

“It’s been a great December for us. We got all kinds of comments on how great the condition of the course was. There was no need to cut the grass, of course, but the grounds crew was still rolling the greens and replacing divots.”

And, remarkably, the grass remained as green as it was in mid-summer.

The December golfers brought in “unexpected revenue” that helps balance the books at the end of the year, Denklau said.

“We had a horrible June, with precipitation on 18 of 30 days. It’s good to end the year like this.”

In addition, the warm weather brought people into Wiley’s Grill and spurred sales of Coyote Run gift cards.

“The warm weather has people thinking about golf next year,” he said. “It’s never too early for that.” 

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