All Bella Vista golf course superintendents had the chance to travel with Keith Ihms, the POA's golf maintenance manager, to the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America annual meeting in San Antonio.
Ihms was honored as the retiring association president. The association paid for the trip, which was a learning experience for all the superintendents, Ihms told the committee.
He was reporting to the Joint Advisory Committee on Golf during their monthly meeting on March 18. The meeting took place just before the annual Golf Expo in Riordan Hall.
The annual greens aeration is starting in early April, Ihms said. Each course is closed one day while the work is performed, but the course doesn't really return to its usual quality for seven to 10 days. With good weather, the final course should be done by April 14.
After hearing golf group leaders concerned about water availability on the course, the committee agreed that they will watch to see if coolers are being refilled. Each committee member is assigned one course to monitor in order to keep the committee informed about issues.
Members of the committee agreed that golfers need to understand the problem so they can bring their own water onto the course. Although there are signs in the pro shops, some members don't seem to be aware of the issue.
Ken and Beth Kastl attended the meeting and asked to show the committee plans of a new development that could go in along Dogwood Drive. Even though the POA doesn't own the property in question, it has been maintained as if it was part of the course, Ken Kastl said. If the property is developed, it will affect play on the Country Club course at the 18th hole, he said.
"This will make it a tight, hard hole," he said. The developers are asking the city's board of zoning adjustment for a variance before the development can proceed. The committee did not take any action.
General News on 03/25/2015