Edmonton golfers not deterred by heavy smoke cover, poor air quality

Relentless smoke from Alberta wildfires continues to take a toll on outdoor activities, but Millwoods Golf Course in Edmonton says the number of golfers this May long weekend was ‘on par’ with previous years.

James Whitton, the director of golf at Millwoods Golf Course, says he was surprised to see how busy the golf course was this weekend, despite the heavy smoke cover.

“It’s been quite busy because of the smoke, and I’m not sure if it’s because families have been staying home instead of going away for the weekend,” he said.

RELATED: Alberta wildfire situation remains ‘volatile’ as thick smoke brings air-quality concerns

Many golfers told CityNews they didn’t let the poor air quality put a damper on their golf plans, although it did add some extra challenges to their game.

“It really fogged in by smoke, and there were a lot of challenges with it. Visually it was tough at times, depending on what hole we were on,” said golfer Dave Canning.

“You can feel it in your lungs from time to time,” added Matthew Zarowni. “I like to walk when I’m golfing, so I definitely took a cart out there to help with the cardio, but visibility was a little lower too, so when the ball gets up in the air it’s harder to see it out there.”

Millwoods Golf Course did see some cancellations due to the smoke, but overall says more golfers came in than usual.

“It does impact people with asthma and things like that, but perhaps golf being a low-impact sport, it’s a little easier to play,” says Whitton.

However it’s a different story for other outdoor facilities in Edmonton, which were smoked out by the wildfires. Both Fort Edmonton Park and the Fred Broadstock outdoor pool were slated to open Saturday, but remained closed all weekend long due to the poor air quality.

“If it keeps getting worse, I have asthma so it might impact me a little bit, but my fingers are crossed that it will cut down a little bit here going forward,” said Zarowni.

While the air quality improved slightly Monday, it still remained at high risk, according to Environment Canada.