Several POA members spoke during the open forum at last week's Golf Committee meetings. One man wanted grass on fairways to be slightly longer and another was certain that Berksdale Golf Course could reopen as an 18-hole course without extensive repairs.
The Property Owners Associations' Berksdale course was damaged by the flood that followed heavy rains on April 29. Berksdale was the first of three golf courses that were built along Little Sugar Creek below the Lake Bella Vista dam. The flood undercut the banks close to cart paths. Citing safety concerns, the POA did not reopen the course and is looking for an engineering firm that can provide a thorough hydrology study. Meanwhile, plans have been made to open nine holes of the course.
Highlands may close for repairs;
action could close clubhouse, too
The Property Owners Association Board of Directors will consider a larger project at the Highlands which will close the course for about two months, general manager Tom Judson told those who gathered for the Golf Committee meeting last week. A few days later, the board approved the work. (See story on Page 1A of this newspaper.)
The plan is to replace all the collars — the area around the greens — after improving drainage. At the same time, the bunkers will be lined with a product called Billy Bunkers which keeps rocks from working their way up into the sand. Some work on the cart path will be done when the course is closed.
With Berksdale also closed, golfers may need to be flexible, Judson said. He believes all golfers will be able to get a tee time, but they may not get their first choice. The board will also have to decide if the Highlands Clubhouse will be open when the course is closed.
The Highlands Clubhouse has been closed since the last restaurant moved out. The board agreed to turn that space over to members to use as a community room and open the bar with some limited food items as a POA operation. The permits have been secured, Judson said, but the board will have to decide if it’s worth the cost of adding employees if the golf course is not open.
— Reporter Lynn Atkins
Golf Maintenance Director Keith Ihms and General Manager Tom Judson both said that there are sections of the golf course that are dangerous, especially where the cart path goes under the highway bridge, just inches from the creek.
But the man who raised the concern was not convinced. He said he believes the decision was already made to permanently close the course.
Another speaker suggested that if the fairways were not mowed so low, balls would have more cushion and may roll further. He suggested an experiment with nine holes mowed a little higher and nine holes at the usual length.
Ihms said he didn't believe an extra fraction of an inch would make much difference to golfers. He explained that he can't change mower height between nine holes on the same course, but he can raise the mower height on Berksdale when it opens as a nine-hole course. He said he was willing to try and see what golfers think. Ihms reported that flood repairs on the Country Club course are almost complete. The intake lines at the pump house have been repaired, so a temporary pump is no longer necessary to water the course. Green No. 8 has been repaired and will be ready to reopen when the grass has grown in.
One hole on Scotsdale still needs work. A contractor will be hired for that job.
At the Highlands, POA workers have been busy replacing soil lost in the flood.
General News on 06/21/2017