Seasonal weather slows traction for municipal golf course

Lions Club Municipal Golf Course has entered a slow period for the year, and golf pro Danny Carelock has reported that play has gone well throughout 2018.

Golfing typically slows during late fall and winter at Lions Club.

During this time of year, the golf course competes with cold temperatures, rainy weather and hunting season, Carelock told members of the El Dorado Parks and Playgrounds Commission this week.

“Nobody’s coming out and playing much. The weekend is good when the weather’s good, but when the weather’s bad, it’s not even good on the weekends,” he said.

“And it’s been so wet, it’s cart-path only, so they don’t want to walk,” Carelock continued. “So we’ve got a lot going against us and not a whole lot going for us right now.”

During the other months of the year, Carelock has consistently reported that play has mostly gone well, save a slow period during the summer because of sizzling temperatures.

Word about improvements at Lions Club over the past couple of years has also spread throughout the golfing community in the region and has helped to bring in more golfers, he said.

Carelock said two players from Camden recently visited the course and said they were in awe of the shape and appearance of the golf course.

“They said they hadn’t played in a while out there. They said they were impressed, even though it’s winter time. There’s grass in places we’ve never had grass before,” Carelock said.

“They said they’ll be back, and they were even comparing us to (DeGray Lake Golf Course in Bismarck),” he said. “Come spring, we ought to be in good shape.”

While reviewing financial statements for Lions Club Tuesday, Ken Goudy, chairman of the parks and playgrounds commission, noted that monthly revenue through Nov. 24 totaled nearly $7,816.

“Last year, we did about $11,000 for the whole month of November,” Goudy said.

For September, revenue came in at $20,697 and $16,936 for October.

Referring to the October total, Goudy said cited inclement weather, saying, “The rain started catching up to us, big time.”

Commissioner Alexis Alexander asked if recent storms had caused any problems at the golf course.

Carelock said “a lot of small limbs” have been knocked down and over the last few days, employees have been busy trying to clean up leaves and pine straw that have been strewn over the golf course by wind and rain.

With the ground saturated, Carelock said workers have not been able to address an area that’s washed out near hole 17.

“It’s been so wet, that we can’t get anything on the golf course that’s heavy enough to carry anything over there without doing more damage,” Carelock said. “We need about two months of dry before we can get over there.”

Carelock reported that propane bottles have been delivered to heat up two outdoor restrooms on the north end of the golf course.

Improvements have been ongoing throughout the year for the restrooms, which are intended to serve golfers and those who use the walking trail that encompasses the golf course and Union County Fairgrounds.

New roofs have been installed, the buildings have been insulated and potable water hooked up. The project also calls for new, self-closing doors.

With cold weather setting in, Carelock said he will speak to Robert Edmonds, director of public works, about hooking up the propane tanks.

Alexander also asked Carelock about a benefit tournament that was recently hosted at Lions Club.

The second annual Nic Cole Benefit Golf Tournament was held Sept. 29 and Carelock said the tournament raised more than $19,000 to help cover medical expenses and care for Cole, 28, who was seriously injured in a boating accident in January 2017.

Carelock said there was only a morning field that participated in the tournament.

“There were lots of good comments about it, the way it was run and everything seemed to flow nicely,” Goudy said.