BELLA VISTA — Throughout the year, members of the Property Owners Association’s Joint Advisory Committee on Golf obtain feedback from anyone and everyone who has an opinion regarding Bella Vista’s golf courses.

Sometimes the feedback is solicited; sometimes comments are volunteered by the presenter.

So far this year, members of the JACG have met with more than 20 golfing groups, two neighborhood organizations and conducted a survey for the explicit purpose of understanding what you want. Your input is discussed at each monthly JACG meeting with POA General Manager Tommy Bailey, Golf Maintenance Manager Casey Crittenden and Golf Operations Manager Andy Mar.

Restrooms

The restrooms have been a priority for the JACG.

Like you, we were embarrassed by their condition earlier this year. We hope you are noticing the improvements that have been implemented. Expectations and accountability for cleanliness have been clarified. We are currently evaluating possibilities for some remodeling and landscaping of these facilities.

Level tee boxes

The POA Board recently approved our proposal to purchase equipment for tee-box leveling.

Cart paths

Our cart paths are showing their age. New paths are an important part of the capital improvement recommendations we are making to the POA Board. We are proposing cart paths to be constructed in a way that will better keep golf carts on the paths around the tees and greens to avoid wear and tear of the grass in those areas. We are recommending a four-year program to upgrade all of the cart paths at the Bella Vista Country Club, Dogwood Hills and Kingsdale golf courses.

Yardage markers

Our proposal has been approved by the POA Board and is being implemented.

You should see yardage markers on both sides of the fairways on all courses in 2010.

Cup placement, tamping

Golf maintenance is providing enhanced training that will help ensure cups are properly placed and leveled.

Cups in putting greens

The trade-off for having cups in the practice greens is a reduced quality and smoothness of the green.

We simply can’t have the quality of practice greenswe currently enjoy if we fill them with holes, which must be changed regularly.

However, recognizing that cups are apparently very important for some golfers, we are evaluating the possibility of having a few cups installed on each practice green.

A typical practice green has anywhere from six to 10 positions. If cups were used, they would have to be moved daily since putting greens get as much traffic as a course. By the end of one month, 180 to 300 holes would be made in each practice surface, which would quickly result in a very poor putting surface.

Faster greens

This topic is another trade-off. As a rule, greens in Bella Vista are slow. With a few notable examples, our greens are generally free of rough, dead or inconsistent areas. In fact, they are some of the prettiest, healthiest greens you will find in northwest Arkansas.

The biggest challenge is keeping our greens free of disease and ensuring they are not being burned during the summer months.

With the kind of grass we have on our greens, scalping them lower or keeping them harder will put green quality at risk. The POA Board has recently approved the purchase of additional rollers, and our golf-course staffs will strive to make our greens as fast and smooth as possible without risking the overall quality and appearance.

Ball marks

We agree that all ball marks should be repaired.

We ask your help in exerting some peer pressure on all golfers to repair their ball marks on the greens to maximize player enjoyment and accuracy. We would also ask that you take care of our courses by practicing the 90-degree rule when crossing fairways. In addition, fix divots in the tee boxes and fairways, and stay on the cart paths as much as possible.

When you park at a tee box or green, keep all four wheels of the cart on the path. We have a lot of wear around these areas because golfers automatically like to put two wheels of a cart off the path. Please don’t dothat. If someone needs to pass you, let them decide the best alternative.

Ball washers

Our golf-course staff is paying closer attention to maintenance of ball washers, especially in the heat of the summer when the water can become stagnant.

Play assistants

You, as players, can most effectively control the pace of play.

However, we are evaluating the role of play assistants. Should they be policemen or cheerleaders? What specific responsibilities and authority should they have?

We will try to determine what the majority of our players want in our play assistants.

We can then implement some specific expectations and training. Come to the November JACG meeting and voice your opinion, as this topic is on the agenda.

Sand traps

Quality and consistency of sand traps, and all aspects of our courses, is a priority for the JACG. We have been evaluating and proposing enhancements to our courses, including the sandtraps.

In conclusion

Your input is important to the continued success of our golfing operation. Constructive criticism and positive recommendations are very much appreciated. By now you should be aware that the biggest challenge we face is the reduction in golf rounds, and thus the reduction in revenue generated. If we can find ways to attract more golfers and increase the golf rounds, then recommendations for enhancing our courses will be more feasible.

* * *

I encourage you to attend golf committee meetings, which are held the second Wednesday of each month in Riordan Hall. From November through March, the meetings are held at 8:30 a.m.

Every attendee is given a chance to speak to the committee on whatever golf topic is important to them. It is your opportunity to inform us of your concerns, as well as maximize your information on golf-related issues.

* * *

Louis Adler is a member of the Bella Vista Property Owners Association’s Joint Advisory Committee on Golf.

Sports & Recreation, Pages 13 on 11/04/2009

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