The Merritt Island, Fla. club, now owned by the Savannah Homeowners Association after 30 years of operation by the Brevard County Parks and Recreation department, hopes that play from the shorter tees will add to what it’s already seen as “a dramatic improvement” in rounds. “We have the perfect situation where we have families that live in the neighborhood but don’t play golf, so why don’t we encourage them to come out and play?” said General Manager Earl Hines.
The Savannahs Golf Club on Merritt Island in Florida is adding a sixth set of executive tees to address the time crunch that many golfers now face, Florida Today reported.
The golf course, which is now owned by the Savannahs Homeowners Association after 30 years of operation by the Brevard County Parks and Recreation department, will be opening the new executive tees on all 18 holes of its course on February 16, Florida Today reported.
The club’s website is touting a grand opening for the family tees and executive-course option on that day, with the message, “Bring the whole family and have a great day!”
The change is something that Savannahs General Manager Earl Hines hopes will lure more players to the scenic course, Florida Today reported.
“Shorter courses are becoming more acceptable to people,” Hines said. “It’s less time spent on the course and it’s a lot more favorable for folks and families. We have the perfect situation where we have families that live in the neighborhood but don’t play golf, so why don’t we encourage them to come out and play?”
The new executive tees will make playing the club’s Gordon Lewis-designed course, which measures 6,422 yards from its longest (gold) tees, considerably shorter. On the first hole, for example, where distance from the gold is 391 yards and from the (previously shortest) red tee is 283 yards, the executive tee will play from 208 yards.
The hardest part in adding the extra set of executive tees has been figuring out exactly where to put them so they won’t interfere with play from the longer tees, Hines told Florida Today.
“We identified areas that were flat,” he said. “We also put tee boxes where we took hazards out of play. It didn’t cost us very much.”
Since the homeowners association took over the golf course in October 2018, “I have seen, based on numbers, a dramatic improvement to rounds and participation from the public,” Hines told Florida Today. “I’m hoping this trend will continue in positive way.
“We’re getting good compliments from people,” he added. “Very positive.”
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