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A lot of time and effort goes into creating those perfectly manicured circles of grass surrounding each hole at the Ukiah Valley Golf Course.
“We use special grass and three different mowers,” said Frank Johnson, owner of the Tayman Park Golf Group, which has been operating the city’s golf course since last summer.
Johnson said the grass carefully cropped into three tight circles is called Bentgrass, and is used by most courses in the area because it can handle the short haircuts.
“You can mow it low without it being damaged,” he said, explaining that having healthy, green grass throughout the course is definitely his top priority.
With a limited budget for improvements however, Johnson said he is taking a measured approach that includes revamping two tees a year, eventually replacing all of the antiquated and water-wasting sprinkler heads, and gradually replanting brown areas of the course not directly involved in play, like the collars.
“I want this whole hillside to look green and beautiful,” Johnson said, waving out at the part of the course you see from the deck of the Pro Shop. “Our plan is in the infancy stage, but I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, and of our relationship with the city.”
The city still owns the course, but Johnson’s company — which also manages courses in Sonoma County — leases and manages it, including former city staff members like Rob Gibson, who supervises maintenance of the course.
Though Johnson lives in Windsor, he is in Ukiah so often these days that he greeted the players he saw on a recent Thursday by name.
“I know all of the golfers here,” he said. “And I really wanted to give back to the community the facility they deserve to play on.”
Starting with tee No. 1: Located to the left of the Pro Shop, the first tee sets the tone of the course for many players. And, unfortunately, until recently that tone was disrepair.
“No. 1 was the worst by far,” Johnson said. “Players would come and think we don’t maintain our course.”
When teeing off, players need a flat grassy area. A properly maintained tee has plenty of those sections to choose from, allowing players to use different ones at different times so one section doesn’t get overused.
However, on tees like No. 1 and No. 17, the flat, usable areas were so scarce that finding a place to tee off from “was really a struggle.” And when one area is used over and over again without a break, it becomes damaged beyond repair.
So during the slow time last year, No. 1 was closed off, flattened and replanted. Given the winter to grow in, Johnson said the tee is now one he can be proud to have golfers start out on.
No. 17 was also improved, and later this year Johnson said tees No. 16 and No. 5 will be redone.
With an annual Capital Improvement Fund of about $60,000 — made up of $40,000 from the Tayman Park Golf Group and $20,000 from the Ukiah Men’s Golf Club — Johnson said he plans on reconstructing about two tees a year.
“In 10 years, just imagine what this will look like,” he said.
Saving money, saving grass
Another important aspect of Johnson’s plan involves how the grass is watered.
“Some of these sprinkler heads are 50 years old,” he said, pointing to one that not only leaks, but only has one setting: full blast.
Not being able to vary the amount of water delivered to certain areas means both water and money gets wasted, so Johnson is replacing them. So far, 275 of the course’s sprinkler heads have been replaced with ones that can disperse water at a wide range of speeds.
“We’ve got 200 more to go,” he said, adding that each one costs $100.
Before any work, Johnson submits a Capital Improvement Plan to the Ukiah City Council that lists how he intends to spend his improvement fund. The plan approved for 2013/14 includes $10,000 for a Variable Frequency Drive pump station, and about $36,000 for replacing the sprinklers in the “Back Nine.”
Johnson said the VFD will use less energy, reduce maintenance costs and extend the life of the irrigation system.
“We will have more control of how much water is pumped and when it is pumped,” he said, explaining that the water now comes on “full force, blowing out a lot of the piping.” If the pressure can be increased gradually and delivered exactly where it’s needed, the pipes will last longer, the electricity bills will be lower and the grass will be healthier.
Sports bar?
When the first list of improvements was approved by the City Council in April, Vice-Mayor Phil Baldwin balked at the idea that “expanding the food and beverage options at the Pro Shop” could mean it would become a sports bar.
“I’m not sure that the majority of the citizens of Ukiah want that to happen,” Baldwin said at the council’s April 17 meeting. “My question to staff is, Can the city step in and say, that’s not going to happen?’”
“The lease agreement (with Tayman Park Golf Group) does allow for the operator to utilize the Todd Grove Room for expanded food and beverage operations,” said Assistant City Manager Sage Sangiacomo.
“I’m not sure the citizens knew we were turning the Todd Grove Room into a sports bar,” Baldwin said, adding that he was concerned about the noise, traffic and need for more police presence the change might create.
Sangiacomo said “the operator does not what to do anything that’s going to be incompatible with the area,” and that concerns about noise and other impacts would have to be considered, and significant improvements would have to be approved by the council.
Johnson confirmed that the Pro Shop’s small dining area would not turn into a full-fledged sports bar without the community’s approval, but he has expanded the menu options.
“We want to make sure we satisfy the golfers when they’re here,” he said, explaining that more substantial food items like burgers with fries and breakfast burritos are now available. “But at most golf courses, there is a grill. We don’t have a grill. We’d like to explore our options for enhancing the Pro Shop, including the patio.”
Along with offering a wider range of food and drinks, Johnson said he’d like to improve the air conditioning system and the seating on the patio so that people could sit outside, even in the hot summer months.
“We want this to be a prime location for people to come,” Johnson said. “It will be a win-win for the community if we can get more people from out of the area to come here and golf.”
Justine Frederiksen can be reached at udjjf@ukiahdj.com, on Twitter @JustFrederiksen or at 468-3521.
From www.ukiahdailyjournal.com
