LETTERS EDITOR TO THE
Much deserved thanks
Editor,
As the summer closing of Branchwood is upon us, we would like to extend our deep appreciation and thanks to the entire staff, who have always been so friendly, cooperative and welcoming.
We hope they enjoy their much deserved time off, and we look forward to their smiling faces this fall upon the reopening.
Stu and Debbie Sorensen Bella Vista
Save Berksdale
Editor,
I am a golfer who has enjoyed Berksdale Golf Course for the past 13 years, and I am upset that the POA is closing this course. Several weeks ago, I attended a meeting and asked the POA officials if they were also going to close Kingswood. They said the matter was “under consideration.” I then asked if they were going to build a new golf course. Once again, they said the matter was “under consideration.” I wonder if they have already made up their minds but are not telling the public.
I would like for them to consider this as a solution to the Berksdale problem. Charge an extra $5 for playing Berksdale. Every golfer I have spoken with said that they would gladly pay an extra $5 even if they have annuals like I do. This money could go for current or future repairs and would not be used for anything else other than Berksdale repairs, present and future.
Doug Abrams Bella Vista
Is this a joke?
You’ve got to be kidding! Just when you think things cannot get any more ludicrous for Bella Vista golfers, they do. I would like to cite two examples, one large and one small.
The first is that last winter’s cold weather has damaged the “new and improved” greens at Scotsdale. The course is closed through the summer to repair the greens that were touted to be the best thing for Bella Vista golf since rangefinders.
Tens of thousands of dollars were spent to replace the original greens with the new ultra dwarf Bermuda. The new greens were reported to be cold intolerant and needed to be covered below a certain temperature. However, we were assured they required less maintenance in the summer than the original grass and were more cost-efficient. Now we learn, they are even less cold tolerant than their champion’s claimed. We have lost the course for the entire summer, as well as tens of thousands of dollars of revenue. Tens of thousands more will be spent to re-sprig the greens, with the same grass that died last winter. Meanwhile, the greens at the other courses have survived the Winter of 2017-2018, appear to be healthy and the courses are open generating sorely needed revenue.
I believe that we should cut our losses and replace the ultra dwarf Bermuda with the same grass used on all the other courses. I am not an authority on golf course grass, but I can see what appears to work and what does not. If it’s decided to re-sprig Scotsdale with the ultra dwarf Bermuda, those responsible, including Tom Judson, Phillip Wright, Keith Ihms and the entire board should publicly commit today to resign if we are in a similar position in two to three years.
The second issue is less significant but still annoying. For years, an ice chest and 5-gallon jug of ice water have been positioned at the bottom of the steps near the practice green at the Country Club. Golfers could fill their coolers, or “Bubba Mugs” while preparing to tee off. Since the new pro shop has opened, the ice and water have been removed. We are told to use the ice and water machine below the pro shop. I asked if anyone has tried to fill a cooler from the hotel style ice machine, they had not. Then, I was told they were concerned about cross-contamination from an ice chest used by many people.
That argument doesn’t make sense. The courses have provided ice chests and water jugs for the golfers long before I came here. The other courses still provide ice chests and water jugs. The Country Club also has numerous water jugs on the course. The jugs are filled from the ice machines and water hoses in the cart barns, so the contamination excuse does not “hold water.”
Make it convenient for the golfers, put an ice chest and water at the base of the steps at BVCC and stop with the silly excuses.
Bill King Bella Vista