With a bit of luck, we can play golf in Maine this week.

The outlook three weeks ago was for some southern courses to be open by now, but snow interrupted those plans. That portion of the state actually saw more late snow than central Maine. I spoke with representatives of several courses this past week and heard the same answer from nearly all of them.

Bill Gilroy was at Apple Valley going through what he called 4 1/2 months of junk mail when I called.

“Sometime next week if the weather cooperates,” was Gilroy’s forecast reagrding when the course will open. He added that the greens and the rest of the course came through the winter well, so he’s looking forward to some good early conditions once things dry out.

At Prospect Hill ,Ron Vaillancourt said he was looking out the window at guys hitting balls from the rough, but some warm nights and days were needed to open.

“Three weeks ago it was 62 degrees, and I got a sunburn snowblowing the greens,” said Vaillancourt. “Then we got this snow and cold. If the weather gives us a break, we’ll open by the 17th. “

The pro shop is open with lots of sale items.

B.J. Wade was upbeat at Martindale, pointing out that it had been a tough winter but that the course should be open by the end of the month. Wade has two new assistants, Terry Russell and Jake Bissonnette, who came on at the end of last season. The pro shop is open, and Wade reports a lot of activity with club fitting. Wade’s highlight of the winter occurred at the big PGA show in Florida, when he showed up early for a demonstration day and wound up getting a lesson from Butch Harmon. He’s planning a driver demo day for later this spring.

At Fairlawn, David Bartasius said the course was full of cross-country skiers but that he anticipated being open by May 1. It could happen earlier, but Bartasius would like the course well drained before putting carts out.

Bob Darling said his open house last weekend drew over 100 golfers to Fox Ridge in snow and sleet. That demonstrates how many golfers are suffering from cabin fever. Darling is looking forward to a busy season with a tournament schedule that includes a variety of events for members and others. The greens and fairways wintered well, and Darling hopes that at least nine holes will be ready by next weekend.

Spring Meadows GM Dave Pollard said all his crew needs are a few warm nights to get the last of the frost out and dry things up. The Gray course could open within a week.

When I called Maple Lane, I got to speak with the new owner, Kevin Cullen. After working as Director of Golf at a 27-hole layout in San Jose, Calif., Cullen decided he wanted a change by becoming his own boss in a lower-key operation. He arrived this winter and has been busy with snowmobiles and cross-country skiers. Cullen’s ambitious plans for Maple Lane include a new driving range, which he plans to open by mid-summer. Opening is tentatively set for Thursday.

Al Biondi, who is back at Springbrook the course he designed, expects to be open within two weeks. He says the course is in fine shape with no winter kill, so all it needs is drying out.

Always among the first, Nonesuch River started advertising two weeks ago that it would open April 5, weather permitting. Obviously the weather didn’t permit, but Thursday’s warm temperatures could have been enough to get Scarborough club open. There was a possibility of the first drives being hit this weekend.

Farther south, Jeff Maldonis of Outlook told me he expected their layout as one of the southernmost in the state to be among the first to open. Earlier this week he was still waiting, but it’s now worth a call. Not far from Outlook, Pro Jack Sullivan at the Ledges looks forward to opening by next weekend.

Poland Spring’s Dick Fahey is shooting for April 25. The veteran course superintendent has reason to be optimistic. He tried a new green cover this winter on his problem green, No. 5. This cover comes from the Green Jacket Company of Wisconsin, and Fahey said when they pulled the cover April 1, “The green looked like the day we put it to bed.”

Improvements continue on one of the state’s first courses. Donald Ross designed Poland Spring in 1895, adding the second nine in 1912. Players will find some new bunkers that Fahey uncovered as part of restoring the course to its original design. A new tee will add 30 yards to No. 10. There are more plans which we’ll get into later when we take a close look at the course from the fairways with club in hand.

Bath and Boothbay both opened this past week.

A number of driving ranges are opening, so it will be possible to get outside and hit balls. The best advice this time of year is call ahead. Most of the pros will be in their shops even if the course isn’t quite ready, so this is a good time to get things done such as new cleats or grips.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer who lives in Westbrook.