FAQ
WHAT ARE THE HOURS OF OPERATION?
Once Shaganappi is open for the winter, all gates to the Shaganappi Point golf course are open 24/7.
WHERE CAN WE FIND RENTALS?
Shops that focus on Cross Country Skiing offering both retail sales and rentals with knowledgeable staff:
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Norseman Outdoor Specialists rents ski gear and snowshoes, and are located on 37th Street near Shaganappi operates on a first-come first-served basis.
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Lifesport in Bowness to our knowledge rents only cross country ski gear.
Other rental providers:
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Sports Rent in Bowness
WHERE CAN I FIND LESSONS?
Calgary and area lesson and/or coaching program providers:
CANSI-certified instructors are recommended, it is wise to confirm before booking. If your organization isn't on our list, please contact us with a request to be added.
HOW CAN I HELP?
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Volunteer for SNO, as all winter operations work is done by volunteers. Learn More
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Take a moment while skiing or snowshoeing to clear windblown debris from trails such as leaves, sticks and pine cones, as they are safety hazards and act as heat-sinks melting the snow around them quickly.
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Donate money to help pay for operational expenses. Running a ski area costs money!
WHY ARE THERE ROPES AROUND FEATURES ON THE GOLF COURSE?
Fragile non native grasses are easily killed by snow compaction above the grass. Tee boxes and golf greens are typically sensitive areas of the golf course with fragile non native grasses. Usually skiers go under ropes onto the grasses of tee boxes and greens because there are hills surrounding them. There are many other hills around Shaganappi that skiers can go on where the grasses are less likely to be killed.
HOW CAN THE GRASSES ON GOLF COURSES BE KILLED DURING THE WINTERTIME; AREN'T THEY DORMANT?
Compacted snow above fragile grasses prevents gases formed from natural decomposition during the winter from escaping up through the snowpack. The decomposition gases then concentrate along the surface of the grass, and kill the grass over time. If the public continues to go on roped off areas in the winter causing damage to the golf course grasses, the golf course may be permanently closed to the public in the winter, as repairing and replacing the dead grass in the spring is expensive.
WHEN WILL THE GOLF COURSE OPEN FOR SKIING?
This varies year to year.
Golf course summer staff must prepare and protect fragile areas of the golf course for the winter, and this is done once the golf course summer operations is closed to the public at the end of October which involves:
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Preparing the grass surfaces for the winter
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Putting expensive, specialized tarps on all 27 greens
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Roping off greens and tee boxes near ski trails by manually installing temporary fencing
After golf course staff are done putting the golf course to bed, we need:
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Unfrozen ground for golf course staff and/or SNO volunteers to install metal snow stakes and string rope fencing around safety hazards and tee boxes near ski trails to keep the public off these areas all winter to prevent permanent turf damage. If the ground freezes, this significantly increases the manual work and volunteer/worker time that will be required to install the metal snow stakes.
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At least 15 cm of snow on the ground at one time is needed to pack down as an initial base to work with. Typically, our machinery requires approximately 15 cm of snow as an initial amount to avoid damaging our machinery and also fragile golf course turf.
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Consistent cold temperatures, and a long range forecast of consistent cold temperatures. Grooming snow that will melt away completely in the next Chinook is a waste of volunteer time and also pollutes the environment unnecessarily.
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In general, grooming and track setting won't begin until the above conditions are met.
