Golf Courses

This has been one very hot and humid summer. Because of the weather conditions golf courses have taken a beating this year. This kind of weather is a golf course superintendent's nightmare. If you keep the greens soft by over watering, you increase the possibility of a fungus, such as brown patch or dollar spots. If the greens get too hard, then the root system struggles and the greens, especially without any air movement greens can actually burn and eventually the root system could be so jeopardized that the grass in some areas can die. Often times I hear members complain about the conditions of a golf course, and a lot of times they do not fully understand what the superintendent is trying to accomplish.

One of the owners of Old Bridge says Boyle County’s only public golf club may be sold. Bruce Brown, head golf pro and general manager at Old Bridge, said membership is at its lowest in recent memory for the semi-private club, which has dues-paying members as well as public play. “The golf business is about as down as it could be,” Brown said. “We are in the process now of possibly selling the course or reorganizing in some way. We are also considering shutting down for the winter, which would be the first time we have closed for the season.

If you ask my daughter Meredith what her favorite golf course is, she will likely say The Bull at Boone's Trace. But close behind, and the site of some of her fondest memories, is Paintsville Country Club, which today is simply called the Paintsville Golf Course. This course might not be one of the top-rated courses in the state, but it is certainly one of the most unique. Paintsville is essentially two different golf courses. The first seven holes are played up and back three hollows.

Frisbees will be flying July 5 when the nine-hole Ironworks Hills Disc Golf Course opens at the Clark County Fair Grounds. There are three disc golf courses in nearby Lexington and one in Richmond, but when complete, Winchester's 6,400-foot course will be the sixth longest in the state, said Lewis Willian, a local player who helped organize construction of the course. "We're just really excited," he said. "We're glad to have another walking activity here in Clark County. " Disc golf follows the same rules as traditional golf, except that players attempt to get a disc or Frisbee into a metal basket.

Put Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio in charge of Kentucky State Parks.The innovative lawman is reportedly saving Maricopa County taxpayers millions of dollars a year through innovative programs that earn him the media's designation as "America's Toughest Sheriff. " Sheriff Joe became known for making inmates live in tent cities, work on chain gangs to cut costs on public projects, wear pink boxer shorts and eat bologna sandwiches. He gets the most out of every tax dollar spent at his operation.

The owners and management of Old Bridge Golf Club have declined to comment on their efforts to obtain a license to sell alcoholic beverages at the club on KY 34. Repeated calls to owner and club professional Bruce Brown have not been returned, and spokesmen for club owners Jack Freeman of Harrodsburg and J. Thomas Hensley of Danville said they are out of town and unavailable for comment. A petition to put the measure on the ballot was submitted to County Clerk Denise Curtsinger this week.

Dear Editor, The recent debate concerning Sunday sales at Old Bridge is fascinating to me. Over and over again we have to hear these tales of "unsavory characters," prostitutes in our streets, cats and dogs living together total pandemonium. But the truth is far different. I am a golfer, and while I do not play at Old Bridge very often, I am quite familiar with the staff there, including Scrapper Letcher, my little league football coach, and Bruce Brown, who had a tremendous affect on my young golf career.

It is an exciting time of year if you are a golfer. The best weather of the season will be upon us soon and the golf courses always seem to be the prettiest when the fall season rolls around. Temperatures in Kentucky are ideal in September and October for golf. As we approach spring, we tend to prepare ourselves for the scrambles, outings and other events. Then summer approaches and Calcutta's, invitational tournaments, club championships, State Amateurs and other events create an urgency to score well.

FRANKFORT - The Senate Transportation Committee this week approved a bill sponsored by Sen. R.J. Palmer II, D-Winchester, that would allow golf carts to be used on designated public roads with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less. Under Palmer's bill, a local government may authorize and regulate the operation of golf carts on any public roadway under its jurisdiction if the local government adopts an ordinance specifying roadways. The bill requires that a golf cart must display a sticker or permit, issued by the local government, identifying that it is allowed to operate on specific roadways.

Larry Lee Watts, 65, passed away on May 18, from a sudden illness. He was born in Terre Haute, Ind., on Dec. 5, 1943, to Letcher and Virginia Watts. Larry was an avid golfer and a loyal University of Kentucky basketball fan. Larry grew up in Nicholasville, attending Jessamine County High School, playing varsity football, basketball and baseball. Larry graduated with the class of 1962. Larry briefly left Jessamine County to play baseball for the Houston Colt 45s (now known as the Astros)

Alocal golf course/development's approach, which officials called “unorthodox,” to developing Keene Manor Subdivision prompted much discussion at a meeting of the Jessamine County/City of Wilmore Joint Planning and Zoning Commission last Tuesday. Corman McQueen Golf, Inc., submitted a request for approval of a final plat for lot 27 in Unit 2 of the subdivision, more than 10 years after receiving approval for the preliminary plat for Unit 2, and more than two years after a final plat for a neighboring lot, lot 29, received approval, according to a staff report submitted to the commission.

The Nicholasville Fire Department, with the assistance from the Jessamine County Fire District, battled a fire at Planters Row Golf Course, located near Toyota on Nicholasville, around 2 a.m. Monday. When fire units arrived, firefighters found a maintenance building engulfed in flames. JCFD supplied a tank shuttle while NFD firefighers extinguished the fire. There were no injuries reported, and fire units cleared the scene shortly after 5 a.m.

STANFORD - Stockholders of Dix River Country Club in Lincoln County have agreed to sell the struggling golf course, though finer points of the deal have yet to be worked out. Cliff-Ed Irvin, a stockholder and Realtor who has been involved in sale negotiations, said this morning that stockholders voted Thursday to sell the operation to Danny McQueen of Nicholasville and partner Steve Coleman of Lexington. “We have a deal in principle, but there are still details to be worked out,” Irvin said.

This has been one very hot and humid summer. Because of the weather conditions golf courses have taken a beating this year. This kind of weather is a golf course superintendent's nightmare. If you keep the greens soft by over watering, you increase the possibility of a fungus, such as brown patch or dollar spots. If the greens get too hard, then the root system struggles and the greens, especially without any air movement greens can actually burn and eventually the root system could be so jeopardized that the grass in some areas can die. Often times I hear members complain about the conditions of a golf course, and a lot of times they do not fully understand what the superintendent is trying to accomplish.

After months of speculation about its future, Boyle County’s only public golf course is changing hands, and the new owners should be familiar to those who play and follow the sport. Bruce Brown, head of Old Bridge Golf Club’s ownership group since it opened in 1989, confirmed that the course is being sold to Danville native Mike Kehoe, head golf pro at Campbellsville Country Club, and Greg Johnson, general manager at Peninsula Golf Resort in Garrard County. Brown and others had been considering selling the course since last year.

The American Lung Association’s 2011 Golf Tour Book (“Lung Book”) is now available for purchase. The book is good for reduced rates at more than 470 golf courses, practice ranges and indoor facilities in Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and seven other states. In total, the book includes 1,800 rounds of discounted golf. Listed in the package are courses in and around Boyle County, including Old Bridge Golf Club in Danville. Each participating course offers a reduced rate for one or more plays.

The fair weather Thursday brought the unexpected sight of golfers hitting the links again at the recently closed Old Bridge Golf Club, but the owner said the situation may only be temporary. Bruce Brown, who leads the club’s ownership group in addition to serving as general manager and head golf professional, said the run of good weather after a harsh winter season prompted the course to reopen. The restaurant, however, remained closed. “Right now, we are going to open on some pretty days, and hopefully we can get some people to come out for that,” Brown said.

After weeks of searching for ways to raise enough money to stay afloat, owners of Old Bridge Golf Club plan to close the 18-hole course Saturday. Bruce Brown, who is the general manager, head golf pro and head of the ownership group since Old Bridge opened in 1989, said the course and restaurant will close for the season with the intention of reopening March 1. It remains uncertain, though, if the course will be able to reopen in the spring....

One of the owners of Old Bridge says Boyle County’s only public golf club may be sold. Bruce Brown, head golf pro and general manager at Old Bridge, said membership is at its lowest in recent memory for the semi-private club, which has dues-paying members as well as public play. “The golf business is about as down as it could be,” Brown said. “We are in the process now of possibly selling the course or reorganizing in some way. We are also considering shutting down for the winter, which would be the first time we have closed for the season.

Mahan Manor Golf and Hunt Club is open for business. The newest golf course in the state officially opened its doors to the public Sunday afternoon, a dream come true for course founder Bart Mahan. Mahan spent the past three years developing the nine-hole course he hopes to expand into an 18-hole venue in the future and was all smiles on opening day. "It's a little overwhelming," Mahan said before the opening ceremonies. "It has all come to fruition, and we had a great team to get it (the golf course)