A change of seasons

With a deep blue sky, sun shining and snow-capped peaks in the distance, Sunday morning was a picture-perfect time to play a round of golf at the Cabinet View Golf Club.

It was just after 11 a.m. when Jim and Jerry Mee, Joe Cielak, Bobbie Bamford and Nic Pisciotta set off on a nine-hole excursion on the course. “The person with the lowest score will win this round,” joked Jerry Mee.

The back nine is closed until weather makes it suitable to receive foot and cart traffic, however, the permanent greens on the front nine are now open for business.

Cielak said the golf course opening is one of the earliest he can remember in about 20 years, which is all right with him. “Golf is kind of my life. I’ve got four tournaments in May, so the earlier I can get out the better,” he said. “I try and squeeze some fishing in between golf outings.”

Jerry Mee said each year he looks forward to a new golf season. “There’s always anticipation, absolutely,” he said. He pointed to the sky and the mountains, “It doesn’t get any better than this.”

Cabinet View Director of Golf Jeff Dooley has received most of the items for the golf shop and has been organizing this year’s tournaments. “I’ve been getting in all the merchandise, putting it into the computer, tagging it and getting it set,” he said.

Born in Polson and raised near the golf course, it’s Dooley’s eighth year as director of golf in Libby. He handles much of the day-to-day operations of the club. “I run the golf shop, merchandise food and beverage, schedule and run all of the tournaments, basically I oversee the entire operation,” he said.

But Dooley is also quick to point out that head superintendant Jerad Dill and volunteers are essential to the golf course. “That’s one thing about the course here, it’s always been community supported and a lot of volunteers have put in their time to build the course and then to take care of it. That’s a cool thing about the course here,” Dooley said.

Dann Rohrer is on the board of directors for the course and was brandishing a bright orange Stihl leaf blower on Sunday morning. “We’re a working board,” Rohrer said, “We double our pay every year, from nothing to nothing.” He said the course was in wonderful shape because of the work Dill and his small crew has been doing.

Rohrer said the tees and greens were remodeled about five years ago and they have tee boxes for beginners and advanced golfers.

As a golf coach for the Loggers, Rohrer said the team is fortunate to have the golf course to practice and compete on. “Coaches at many other schools have to fight for tee times, but here we’re very lucky to have this resource,” he said.

Dooley also sees the course as a Libby treasure. “My personal opinion, having a golf course is a major asset to a community. It brings in a lot of tourists and it provides recreation. And then look at all of the tournaments we host,” he said.

Many of the tournaments hosted by Cabinet View are fundraisers that benefit the community. The Ben Graham Memorial tournament raises money for Libby High School and Junior Golf programs. Fundsies is a golf tournament whose earnings go to the hospital. Celebrating it’s tenth-year, the Kambel Scramble gives 100 percent of proceeds for scholarships for area students.

With the front nine holes of Cabinet View built by workers of the J. Neils Lumber Co. in the mid 1950s and the back nine a fairly recent addition, the course’s layout is unique.

“We call the back nine the wilderness nine. It’s much tighter with more trees, doglegs and water. It’s a lot more up and down. I think it’s fun because generally all 18 holes are built at the same time, but they were built at totally different times so you get two different golf courses,” Dooley said.

Weather permitting, the front nine will remain open and the back nine will open within a couple of weeks. Of utmost importance is making sure the greens are dry. “In golf, the greens are kind of the sacred grass on the course. You don’t want to walk on them too early and tear them up, they’re just going to be too soft early in the season,” Dooley said.

Before Rohrer fired back up the leaf blower on Sunday he said the golf course is a great place to spend an afternoon. “You couldn’t ask for a better place to spend two to four hours,” Rohrer said.