Club’s $1m decision
BANNOCKBURN Golf Club is weighing up a landmark move to grass greens as it prepares to inherit almost $1 million from a benefactor.
The 99-year-old club is considering a switch away from sand scrapes, which have adorned the current 18-hole course since the 1970s.
President Dick Van Den Bosch said the club was set to conduct a strategic study to determine how to spend the cash.
“We’ve had a local identity offer us a substantial amount of money for the development of the golf course, and we think that would possibly be the greens, however the money’s not going to be available for another five years at this stage,” Van Den Bosch said.
“So we’re going to do a strategic plan for the club and make sure that’s the direction the club wants to take, and if that is the case, we’ll move on and do a business case on what’s involved.
“It gives us plenty of planning time, because there are a lot of members who like the course exactly how it is. It’s very family-friendly and it’s a reasonable-priced golf course that people can play, so for us to change to greens there would be significant change.
“The membership costs would have to go up and we’d have to employ people to maintain the course because currently it’s run completely by volunteers.”
Van Den Bosch said the club was blown away by the generosity of the benefactor, who wished to remain anonymous.
“It is very generous,” Van Den Bosch said. “If the offer’s there, we need to determine what is the best thing for the golf course and the obvious thing is (upgrade) the greens.
“There may be other things that we can do to make the course better, but I can’t see what that would be.”
Van Den Bosch forecast the strategic study would be completed by Christmas, paving the way for potential course redevelopment. But he stressed the move to grass greens was not a fait accompli.
“Maybe it’s the natural thing for the club to do, but there’s no decisions or anything made yet,” Van Den Bosch said.
“My opinion is it’s what the club wants, however, if the money wasn’t on the table we’d be happy to stay as a sand LPGA WIN: Sung Hyun Park two-putted for birdie on the par-5 18th to win the Walmart NW Arkansas Championshipfor her second LPGA Tour victory of the season. The win, by one from Danielle Kang, Hyo Joo Kim and Inbee Park, took her to No.1 in the world. scrape course. I’m probably thinking of the work that’s involved in getting things done, but it would be the next progression for the course.
“The club bought the land, they built a new clubhouse and put a water reticulation system in and sewed it down to Santa Ana, so all these things have been a development on the course in the last 30 years and greens are the next step.”
Van Den Bosch believes the members are “optimistic” and will support a move to greens.
“Greens are the ultimate way to play golf and greens are much nicer,” he said.
“There are people who prefer greens and there are people who live in Bannockburn who don’t play at our course because it’s not greens, so that’s the preferable way to play golf.”