Until April 1 you need to call the golf shop to get a tee time, but Quail Ridge Golf Club in Ada is open to exploring golfers starting Friday as long as the weather cooperates.

“We never thought two weeks ago that we would be thinking about opening yet, but the snow melted and here we are,” Gary Smithson, the head PGA professional and manager, said. 

Quail Ridge appears to have a one-day jump on most of the high-end public courses in West Michigan.

Thornapple Pointe in Grand Rapids is aiming to open on Saturday, as is Ravines Golf Club in Saugatuck.

The Meadows in Allendale might be open to walkers on Sunday, but most likely will open during the next week.

And Pilgrim’s Run, north of Grand Rapids in Pierson, is going to wait until the middle of April before opening.

Smithson said Quail Ridge hosted some high school tryouts earlier in the week and the clay-based course was manageable for the golfers.

“It is dryer than I thought out there,” he said. “We are typically very week, but we are going to do our best to get the greens cleaned up, get a little mowing in when we can and play.”

Spring rates are available at Quail Ridge and can be found at quailridgegc.com. Online tee time booking starts April 1. Call the shop at 616-676-2000.

Thornapple Pointe will likely welcome golfers Saturday with cart path only restrictions. Tee times are being taken, and the course wintered well. Visit thornapplepointe.com or call 616-554-4747.

Jeff O’Malley at Pilgrim’s Run said the standard opening for his course farther north is the middle of April.

“We had a lot of snow and ice up here,” he said. “The weather right now is going to determine when we can get out and clean up, and we want to make sure the course dries out well. We never want to open too early. We open when we can promise a good playing condition.”

Learn more about Pilgrim’s Run at 888-533-7742.

Steve Milewski, the head PGA professional at The Meadows, said they will be on weather watch day-by-day.

“The golf course made it through the winter great,” he said. “Condition-wise we should be good starting off the year.”

Check out The Meadows at gvsu.edu/meadows or call 616-331-1004.

Rob Charter, the PGA professional at The Ravines, said cart path only restrictions will likely be in place for a while, but that the course is drying out.

“The course held up great through the winter, no substantial problems,” he said.

Check out Ravines at ravinesgolfclub.com or call 269-857-1616.