The Joint Advisory Committee on Golf was given a copy of a new plan for Bella Vista golf courses at their monthly meeting last Wednesday. General Manager Tom Judson asked them to consider the plan and hold an open meeting so other members can have input. Since the terms of some committee members end this month, Judson suggested they form a special task force to finish the task.
In April, after the board voted to permanently close Berksdale, members provided a lot of feed back, Judson explained. The new plan -- which the board discussed in a meeting closed to the public -- allows the nine holes of Berksdale, which are currently open, to remain open.
The entire course was closed due to flood damage in April 2017. Later in the summer of 2017, nine holes were opened and an engineering firm was hired to consider future flooding issues.
At the April 2018 board meeting, the board voted to close the nine open holes at Berksdale at the end of 2018 and hire a consultant to consider golf rounds in the future. Judson explained that the long-term plan to transform Berksdale into a different recreation amenity hasn't changed, but it might take years before work can begin. The POA is looking for partners to help with the expenses of building a new park. While they wait, the land can remain a golf course, he suggested.
One possibility that was discussed at the board meeting was building a new golf course on land the POA owns on the border of Arkansas and Missouri. According to the new plan, property owner feedback was against the proposed new golf course, so the board has dropped that plan. The future of the ArkMo property is undetermined, the new plan said.
Meanwhile, Kingsdale, which was also damaged by flooding last year, will remain open as long as golf rounds don't drop below 120,000 a year. If the rounds were to drop below that number, Bella Vista wouldn't need five 18-hole courses and Kingswood would be closed.
No funds will be spent stabilizing the stream banks on Kingsdale, the plan said. Also one bridge on the course that has been discussed in the past, will not be replaced.
Judson asked the new task force to make their recommendation by July 18.
But it's important, he reminded them, to let the public weigh in on these decisions.
The committee agreed to hold an open meeting tentatively scheduled for July 5, and then discuss the recommendations again at their committee meeting on July 11. New golf committee members who begin their term on July 1 will not vote on the recommendation.
Also at the Wednesday meeting, the committee heard that the APT tournament was a success and the new greens at Scotsdale should be planted on schedule so that course can reopen in September.
General News on 06/20/2018