September 2006 Golf Committee Minutes

SEPTEMBER 2006 GOLF COMMITTEE MEETING

Meeting called to order on September 1, 2006, at 9:05 a.m. by Chairman, Bob Peet.

Followed by Pledge of Allegiance.

Committe Members Present: Chairman: Bob Peet; Members: Tom Guinther, Jeanne Osborne and Suzanne Peterson. Excused absence: Hugh Murphy.

Also Present: Director of Golf, Jim Kormondy, Golf Shop Manager, Sandy Lobello, and Course Superintendent, Mike Henderson.

Guests in attendance: Pat Dunckley, Tony Pitrulle and John R. Smith, liaison member from the District Board.

On a motion made by Jeanne Osborne and seconded by Tom Guinther, the minutes of the June 2006, meeting were approved as submitted.

Correspondence: None.

Unfinished Business: Chairman Bob Peet asked about progress on the yardage markers for the practice range and the netting between Hole 18 and the parking lot. The reports on those issues were delayed pending the later report from Director of Golf, Jim Kormondy.

New Business: Tony Pitrulle asked about standing water in sand traps. Course Superintendent, Mike Henderson said that the traps in question are being rebuilt, and that drainage problems will be corrected in problem bunkers. Tony Pitrulle also asked about regular bunker raking/maintenance, and why hand raking isn't being done to finish off the daily machine maintenance of bunkers. Course Superintendent, Mike Henderson said that the course worker who normally maintains the traps has been gone for the last month, but the worker is now back, so the problem should solve itself. Member Tom Guinther asked when the current work on bunkers was due to be completed. Henderson said that they would begin filling the bunkers with new sand next week. Eleven bunkers are being redone: all the fairway bunkers, two by the sixteenth green, two by the ninth green, one by the fourteenth green (but not the one in the front), a new putting green bunker on the road side and the current putting green bunker is going to be covered up. The new sand will be "really fluffy" and hard to chip out of. It will take one or two months for it to get "packed down." Bunkers will be more difficult than people are used to, but the bunkers will be "beautiful." The bunker project will take a total of two weeks. In addition, three culverts are being replaced with new plastic pipes, i.e. the one in front of the sixth tee that has been roped off for the past two years. The lake bank between the tenth tee and half way round the ninth fairway is being reworked to become a four to one slope all the way to the water, so that a mower can be used to the edge without the the current drop off. The work is being done by Detailed Sports out of Hobe Sound. Chairman Peet asked when the high grass along the lake sides will be cut. Henderson said that the mower that has always been used for that purpose has completely rusted out, because it has been exposed to the elements, without a tent or equipment barn to shield it. So, the only way to maintain the lake bank grass is manually. The articulating mower that was planned for will be ordered once the new budget is approved. That mower will be ideal for lake banks. The new budget will take effect on October 1, 2006. According to Director of Golf, Jim Kormondy he is not going authorize the purchase of any new equipment until we have a building to house it in, as it would be unwise to have new equipment sitting out in the elements being ruined.

Member Jeanne Osborne asked about a tent to house equipment while waiting for the new equipment barn. Henderson said that One Source had asked, in December of 2004, for a tent to be rented and erected in the field adjacent to the Nineteenth Hole parking lot, but Barefoot Bay Administration had rejected the request as too expensive. It was the general consensus of the Committee that a temporary tent would certainly have been less costly than the continueing damage that is being done to all our equipment caused by two plus years of exposure to all the weather elements. The Committee is concerned that thousands of dollars of equipment, mowers, tractors, etc., are being rapidly ruined by sun and rain. Much of the equipment has deteriorated so badly that it will have to be replaced years ahead of what would have ordinarily been the case, had it been protected from the elements. Henderson said that we are regularly replacing equipment parts that should never have to be replaced, i.e. electronic parts, carbuerators, hoses, hydrolic lines, etc. The Committee urgently requests that a tent be rented and erected to help preserve whatever life is left in the Golf Course maintenance equipment, while we are waiting for the building to be completed. Member Jeanne Osborne said that she believes that permits should have been pulled for the equipment barn. Director, Kormondy said that there may have been some glitches in the permit process. However, the construction that was to have begun in June, has yet to begin. The building was to have been completed in December, but that is unlikely at this time. In the meantime, a 25' by 40', fully enclosed tent would go a long way toward maintaining the life of our equipment.

Member, Guinther asked whether Assistant Course Superintendent, Carolyn Coffer, who left One Source last month, has been replaced. Henderson said that she has been replaced by Brian Mackey. He used to work at Spessard Holland as a spray tech. He has a more spraying experience than Carolyn had. He worked for a while in Virginia as a spray tech, then became an assistant superintendent. He is not yet a licensed spray tech, but will be soon, as that was a condition of hiring. Currently, he can spray under Henderson's license.

Tony Pitrulli brought up the issue of course workers mowing right up to greens while golfers are chipping up and putting. Henderson agreed to talk to the workers, and ask Assistant Mackey to follow up.

Report from Pro Shop Manager, Sandy Lobello: Membership is down by about 60. Regular membership is now 508: 122 families, 264 singles. We also have 19 non-resident associate members and one summer membership, for a total membership of 528. The sign-up sheets for a 9 Hole Couples League are still up on all the boards. The sign-up sheets will be left up so that those returning from the North may have a chance to sign up. So far, there are two or three sign-ups. Members may sign-up at the front desk for the Member/Member Tournament, which is on September 16. Members may sign-up as twosomes or foursomes. Twosomes must be two men or two women. There will be four flights, men's and ladies', two for each one. Cost is $20.00 per member, which includes food and prizes. There will also be a "skins" game.

Report from Superintendent Mike Henderson: The greens are being sprayed for every kind of bug, grub or worm, in an attempt to deter the Sandhill Cranes. So far, nothing has worked. All precautions are being taken to avoid harming the birds themselves. Fairways are due for aerifying and verticutting. Neither process should pose a problem for golfers.

Report from Director of Golf, Jim Kormondy: Over the summer, we've had a Junior Golf Program. Thirty-seven kids participated. We gave away twenty sets of golf clubs, nineteen bags. We had five sponsors: The Moose Club Men's and Ladies', the Orioles, the Men's Golf Association and both the Ladies' Golf Associations gave $100 each. There were also donations from individual members. Ages of junior participants ranged from five to eighteen. Each received a trophy. Kormondy made a video for each participant. We may host a Christmas holiday tournament for Juniors. It is hoped that the program will grow in participation over the years.

The Pro-Shop Appreciation Tournament was a success, and fun was had by all. The next tournament is the Member/Member Tournament. We're not letting couples play together as a team this year, because the Couples Tournament is coming up in three weeks, and we don't want the same teams playing together all the time. Couples can play together in the Member/Member, they just can't be on the same team.

Summit Golf Course closed this summer. Two leagues from Summit have come over to Barefoot Bay: one on Sunday and one on Wednesday. Those leagues will be limited to ten groups. Some of the Summit league members are also members of Barefoot Bay; and some may wish to join. Between those two groups our greens fee play has picked up considerably, as has their resultant business in the Nineteenth Hole. During the Season there may be some conflict between the Barefoot Bay Sunday Scrambles and the Summit Sunday Scrambles, but we will work that out if problems do arrise. The bottom line is that membership play will continue to be protected, while we continue to accomodate outside leagues and maximize revenue sources.

Bunkers are being brought out to their original specs; the original footprints. All will have drains in them. We're due to have the course re-rated. After all this work is done, our course slope rating will likely go up, so we'll appear to be a tougher golf course than we did last time.

The slope on number nine will show a big change. As it slopes down, it will all be sodded. Member, Guinther suggested that the cart path on nine also be changed so that balls hitting the cart path don't automatically go out of bounds. The suggestion was that it be moved to the outside of the two hills to the south. Kormondy said that once all of the bunkers, slopes and culverts are completed, we'll look at all the concrete cart paths.

There was a question about whether there had been consideration to putting trees at the 100 and 150 yard marks. Kormondy said that the consensus was "overwhelmingly" in favor of the mid-fairway markers, as at Harmony, Habitat, etc.

Chairman Peet asked about the status of the yardage markers on the practice range. Kormondy said that the markers are ready to be placed before the season starts at: 25, 50, 75, 100 and 115 yards. As to the netting, at number eighteen and the parking lot, Kormondy reported that we have the netting, but that we're still waiting on Property Services to install it. Kormondy will check into the status of that installation request.

Chairman Peet asked if there was a way to figure how much money being spent on equipment repairs was contributing to the overall loss of the golf course. Kormondy said there was no way to report that out, but that, so far, these are things on which we haven't gone over budget. What we have had problems with are the pumps. Both pumps had to be redone. One of them had to be totally replaced, at the cost of $8,000. The other one we just spent $5,000 on. Both pumps were high speed pumps. We are replacing them with low speed pumps, which will last longer, with less maintenance and work better for our needs.

There being no further business, Jeanne Osborne made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Suzi Peterson.

Meeting adjouned at 10:15 a.m.