2009.10.03
Find new management for Countryside Golf Club
As the only golfer on the ediorial board, I've also been the strongest supporter of keeping Countryside Golf Club open as a publicly owned golf facility. I think there is a place for a municipal golf course in town. The city needs to find someone who wishes to manage the course as a community good, though.
Countryside is not a spectacular course. It is not the sort of course that will draw players from hundreds of miles away. It is, however, a solid municipal layout that is fun enough for experienced players yet forgiving enough for new players.
It has potential to serve the people of the community who cannot afford to drop a lot of money on a round of golf. That potential remains unfulfilled.
This summer, the condition of the course has deteriorated dramatically. The city should think again before pumping millions into upgrades if the management will continue on its present course.
The staff at the course is apathetic on their better days and downright unhelpful on others. Worse, management has impleneted some inane policies.
For one, it forbids people from walking the course at nearly all times, and when it does allow walkers, it charges them the cart fee anyway. If we are to have affordable golf, people need to be able to walk. Plus, many people like to get some exercise when they play, not just tool around on a cart. The course denies them that opportunity. As a public facility, it should encourage healthy golf and exercise. I'm not saying it needs to mandate walking, but there are so few walkable courses around these days, that closing one off to walkers so that management can pocket more money is a disservice to the citizens of Roanoke.
Another foolish policy closes the practice range to the public when tournaments are underway. There might be no tournamant players on the range, but members of the public is denied access to the course they own.
Until the management changes, I cannot advocate for investment at the course and will no longer argue for its preservation on the editorial board. I also will not play or practice there. There are better coursees and facilities willing to take my money and provide an enjoyable golf experience in the region.
I will continue to advocate for a municipal course as a basic recreational facility no different from ball fields and pools, but not at Countryside.
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It's sad to see this happen. As a fellow golfer and a big fan of the muny's (I can't afford pricey courses), and as a former maintenance worker at both a public and a private course, all it really takes is a competent staff of about a half dozen full timers and a half dozen seasonal workers to keep a course up in good shape. The key is a Superintendent and Asst. Super. who know what they're doing...and the workers to follow the fertilization, seeding, mowing, aerating, watering, and trimming schedules that are developed. Having good hands-on supervisors who constantly monitor conditions and having workers who have a love of the game also go a long way. The problem I've seen at several municipal courses is that they have a grounds crew that in many cases doesn't know squat about golf, and therefore they don't have the same level of care or attention to detail that is really needed.
Comment by Other John — October 3, 2009 @ 4:19 pm
Agreed, OJ. Having a crew that plays and understands the game is key.
Comment by C. Trejbal — October 3, 2009 @ 5:17 pm
I have heard that the city of Petersburg has had great success in taking over an old run down golf course,Lee Park, and turning it into a first rate muni, Dogwood Trace. Might want to look in to their experience.
Comment by waynep — October 3, 2009 @ 5:43 pm
I loved working at the courses I had the chance to work at. I managed to get into everything except for chemical application because certifications were needed, but I helped or did just about everything else there. My favorite was doing the course set-up, which entailed the tee box positions, and cutting new pins on the greens every morning. We also had to take care of trash, recyclables, and filling the washers, but it was always fun to put a couple pins in tough spots, then go out and play in the afternoon after clocking out. At the public course I worked at, only 1 guy was not a golfer, and his daily duty was mowing the rough. They never had him do any of the set-up or greens mowing, though he knew how. They kept those critical tasks for more knowledgable workers, and had the newbies stick to weedeating and raking bunkers, because it was hard to mess those things up. Hopefully some more enthusiastic and committed people can come in and change things for the better down there, I hate seeing a golf course revert to cow pasture because of apathy and poor efforts.
Comment by Other John — October 3, 2009 @ 6:06 pm
Mr. Trejbal, thank you for again raising the prospect of converting Countryside to a municipal golf facility. I agree that Countryside is not spectacular, but golfers in this region know the course well and would travel to Roanoke to play if the course were in great condition. That it is a fair and enjoyable test for the experienced player and the novice is precisely what makes it a great candidate for a municipal course. Plus, a developing player benefits greatly by the variety of shots needed to score well at Countryside. I do believe the course could set affordable rates, allow players to walk anytime, and make a profit. Waynep cited Lee Park in Petersburg, VA, as a worthy reclamation of an old course. I offer the facility at Black Lick Woods State Park in Columbus, Ohio, as a sterling example of what a good-quality, public golf facility can add to a community. One can play and walk at Black Lick anytime during the week or on the weekend for around $25. I travel to Columbus yearly, and I never miss a chance to play at Black Lick Woods. The municipalities in the Roanoke Valley have provided solid support for the system of Greenways that enhance our community. Countryside as a municipal facility is a Greenway worth developing!
Comment by jason — October 4, 2009 @ 5:01 pm