Tom Stephens isn't a golf-course architect, but his more than 60 years of playing on an uncounted number of courses served Bella Vista golfers well when a bridge on the Berskdale course was destroyed by December's flood.
On the last few days of 2015, the Property Owners Association golf staff evaluated damages caused by 10 inches of rainfall that fell in a short period of time.
Golf maintenance manager Keith Ihms and golf operation manager Andy Mar toured the courses in a golf cart.
"The idea started when we were trying to figure out how to get open," Ihms said. The bridge behind the 11th green on Berksdale was crucial to how the course was laid out. No longer usable, they had to find a way to get the course opened.
So, they started talking about rerouting the course.
The route was devised with Stephens' help. He is a member of the Golf Committee who was working closely with Ihms.
"Andy (Mar) asked me to look into it," Stephens said. "I gave him four different options without the bridge....We looked at which one flowed the best."
"In my opinion (the new route is) better," Stephens said. He explained that the course used to begin and end on a par 3, but that's been changed. Now the first hole is par 4 and the 18th hole is par 5.
Doug McIntire, who works at the Kingsdale Golf Shop, explained that it's more traditional to have a higher par on the first and last hole. Golfers, he said, like to start the game with a few more swings and the 18th hole is the last chance for a golfer to catch his opponents. The higher-par hole gives the game a more dramatic finish.
The biggest change with the new layout, McIntire said, is that the course is now a links-style course -- which means you no longer turn onto the back nine holes at the clubhouse after nine holes.
Berksdale was built as a nine-hole course, with the second nine added later, he explained, so it made sense to end the first nine holes at the clubhouse. Now hole number nine is on the other side of U.S. Highway 71. It's a little less convenient for golfers who only want to play nine holes. But they can still play the front nine and then drive back to the clubhouse.
There are restrooms, water and a soda machine available near the ninth hole, Mar said, so golfers won't miss the clubhouse too much.
Temporary signs are in place and a new score card is ready.
Although the layout was changed to open the course quickly, it may become permanent, Ihms said. He said a new bridge will cost more than $575,000. In 2014, architects from the firm Crafton Tull looked over all the bridges on the course and supplied estimates for each of them.
Both McIntire and Tim Gay, who works in maintenance at the course, have played the new layout and both like it.
"The playability hasn't changed," McIntire said. It doesn't take any longer to play 18 holes, he said, and the pace of the game hasn't changed.
"In my opinion it's better," Stevens said. "I don't know if it's had enough play on it for people to re-evaluate it, but some people think it's a better route."
Neither Mar nor Ihms had played the course when they were interviewed, but neither had heard any negative comments. They agreed that Bella Vista golfers would let them know if they did not like the layout.
General News on 02/10/2016