The Jaycees Golf Advisory Board expressed concerns to city officials about the upkeep of Jaycees Golf Course in Pine Bluff, Ark. The city-owned course has been without a dedicated superintendent for an extended period of time. In Phoenix, Ariz., a superior court judge ruled that the Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course, which has been closed since 2013, must be restored. The owner of the golf course claimed the business was losing money and offered to convert the land into a new housing development, which was rejected by voters.
The upkeep of Jaycees Golf Course in Pine Bluff, Ark. has become a concern, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. Jaycees Golf Advisory Board members Sharon Alexander, Barbra Long and Kenneth Connelly expressed concerns to city officials during a recent Public Works meeting.
Committee Chair Ivan Whitfield said he received a letter from the board with their top priorities and a request to have himself, Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington and Parks and Recreation Director Samuel Glover tour the course with them to discuss the issues, the Democrat-Gazette reported.
“We want to be able to present in full circle our concerns what we believe can maximize the revenue and the enjoyment we can get out of the golf course at Jaycees,” said Alexander.
According to Alexander, there has been a significant decline in the upkeep of the course due to the absence of a greenskeeper, the Democrat-Gazette reported.
“We had a part-time greenskeeper there and for a short period of time and a city employee who recently retired,” she said.
Alexander said the short-term tenure of the experienced, part-time and dedicated greenskeeper resulted in a significant improvement in the condition of the greens and fairways attracting a number of golfers from across the region, the Democrat-Gazette reported.
In April of 2021, Glover told the Administration Committee that he was in need of a recreation golf superintendent and sports field manager to maintain the city’s Jaycee Golf Course and Pine Bluff’s 14 ground sports facilities, the Democrat-Gazette reported. The positions were approved but have not been filled as of yet.
“Since we have not had a greenskeeper, the condition of the course is deteriorating. Almost like we took one giant step forward and two giant steps backward,” Alexander said. “We just really want to meet with everyone and come up with a plan and have some continuity that will ensure the ongoing success of the golf course.”
With a spring goal in mind, the board would like to see significant improvements, the Democrat-Gazette reported, listing their top three priorities: a dedicated greenskeeper, an updated sprinkler system and the preservation of the greens by roping off the approaches.
In terms of a greenskeeper, Alexander encouraged the city to look at the candidate’s track record for successfully maintaining the golf courses and supervising personnel, the Democrat-Gazette reported.
“Unfortunately, a lack of continuity in filling this key position has resulted in all progress being lost and the course reverting back to an even worse condition,” said Alexander.
In a follow-up interview, Glover said a search for a greenskeeper is currently underway, but he said the Jaycee course has never been unattended since the vacancy, the Democrat-Gazette reported.
“The maintenance men are out there cutting grass literally every day,” said Glover, who added that workers cut the grass on specific days in order to keep the course looking the same. “We want and need a golf superintendent out there to join the team, but the notion that there is some type of neglect—we have invested over $200,000 at Jaycee since 2019.”
Currently, the irrigation and the grounds are being worked on, the Democrat-Gazette reported, and quotes are in place to redo the golf cart path, according to Glover.
“Jaycee golf course is a major construction overhaul,” Glover said. “We have to phase these projects out and see things down the road. It’s going to take a three-year, five-year and 10-year plan to get this thing back up because you let it go under for 30 years.”
Glover said he was challenged with the rehabilitation task when he came on board as director in July 2018, the Democrat-Gazette reported. The golf pro shop building was in disarray, and there were overgrown weeds across the golf course, Glover said, noting that the conditions were “beyond awful.”
“The building hadn’t been touched in over 30 years,” said Glover.
According to Glover, within three months of his employment, about $50,000 worth of renovations began at the pro shop, the Democrat-Gazette reported. Over time, he said, there have been significant improvements, and he said the process of restoration takes time and money.
“With specialized grass, you just can’t get it perfect in two months from being overgrown for years,” said Glover. “We also don’t have a million dollars to pull from so we have to phase these projects out.”
Glover said Jaycee is also not the only location that needs restoration, the Democrat-Gazette reported. With over 30 parks and facilities across the city, projects are in motion, as funding will allow.
“As a manager, I am responsible for the vision of the entire area, and I believe we need to do a holistic approach,” said Glover. “In our whole scale vision, we are trying to enhance, elevate, restore and renovate. We are coming into a broken situation and saying we need to correct this and rectify this immediately, but it’s going to take some time.”
In Phoenix, Ariz., the Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Course has been a mess since it closed down in 2013, KTVK reported. The owner of the golf course, Wilson Gee and his company ALCR LLC, claimed the golf course was losing money and offered to convert the land into a new housing development. But neighbors said “no” to new houses, and the golf course sat around for years, collecting dirt and weeds, which didn’t sit well with homeowners, who went to court and won.
Gee was ordered to restore the golf course to the way it was, KTVK reported, but the restoration project has dragged on, forcing a superior court judge to rule that a special master must be hired to oversee the project to make sure it’s done right.
“I think it is magnificent what the judge did this week,” said homeowner Eileen Breslin, a plaintiff in the lawsuit against the golf course owner. “I think this gives us a clear plan. Having a special master sends the message that we can’t do this on the cheap, can’t do it for one-fifth of what it will take to restore it.”
Homeowner Ross Rossbach doesn’t think it’s too much to ask, that when you live on a golf course, to have an actual golf course, KTVK reported. He just hopes they won’t cut any corners, which means filling in all the grass and actually restoring all 18 holes.
“It’s a whole lot better right now, in the last couple weeks, than it has been until now,” said Rossbach.
Arizona’s Family reached out to Gee’s attorney for reaction to this week’s court ruling and what the plans are moving forward, but had not heard back at the time of publication, KTVK reported. According to the court order, the golf course must be ready to open by September.
“I’m seeing progress,” Rossbach said. “I hope they will finish.”
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