Golf Course Steering Committee Meeting Minutes 4.14.2021

Gene Centi, chair of the Golf Course Steering Committee, opened the Zoom meeting at 6:00PM with a roll call of the committee members that included: Scott Horton, Town Supervisor; Rick Sturgess, Town Board member; Steve Steadman, Superintendent of Grounds; Jerry Groom, Clubhouse Manager; and Denny Fincke. There were 37 participants on the call.

Scott continues following up with the Town’s insurance provider regarding reimbursements. The Phinney Design Group (PDG) changed its in-person on site meeting with this steering committee to 4.27.2021, where they will meet at the Golf Course. They are looking to locate the replacement clubhouse at or near the original location, or now, possibly the tenth fairway. They have begun exploring ideas for using the Town Hall leach field, as it would be extremely expensive to construct a new wastewater treatment system. The existing system cannot be used due to new standards.

There are distinct advantages to look at locating on the 10th fairway; both water and the leach field are extant at Town Hall, the topography is level and parking is more plentiful at a greatly reduced expense. The committee and PDG are looking for these types of synergy, thus the meeting on the 27th sans snow.

Rick Sturgess advised that the temporary pro-shop was delivered today and that the lights were on 30 minutes later thanks to coordinated efforts with North Country Electrical, LLC. The bathroom temporary facility should be here shortly. He reminded the audience that the Town Board passed a resolution to get these temporary buildings installed and outfitted. R. Sturgess reminded folks that these sheds alone, did not cost $53K as rumored by some. The total cost of the temporary clubhouse which includes buildings, parking, electrical and plumbing is projected at $53,000. Using standard construction rental trailers was going to be more expensive and not as aesthetically pleasing. The committee saved the Town’s insurer approximately $30K more than originally planned. Scott added that these costs are reimbursable by the insurance provider, but the committee is monitoring costs to not be frivolous with money. He thanked Sturgess and Centi for setting this up seamlessly along with Highway Superintendent Larry Voght and his crew, who did the site preparation for these temporary structures.

Denny asked if the Town gets credit for saving the insurance provider money. Scott noted that the Town should get more good faith and cooperation from the insurer when they observe that this committee is protecting the Town’s interests by trying to save money for all.

Gene advised that 10 loaner golf carts were delivered last week. They hope to get the new replacement Yamaha carts delivered within one to two weeks. He noted that 8 pallets of golf course material like tee markers, ball washers, waste baskets, flags, holes, water coolers, were recently delivered. These new items (of which everything had to be assembled) replaced those that were stored in the basement and lost in the old club house fire. Gene thanked Steve, Jerry, and others for getting it done.

Jerry Groom noted that he had received many needed items for the pro-shop and the Golf Course. Tor informed Jerry that the umbrellas arrived prior to this meeting and they were stored in the Supervisor’s office. Jerry added that a standup beverage cooler and the beverages should be delivered this coming Monday. He also advised that there are 24 Golf Course sponsors with 3 remaining opportunities for sponsorships at $100.00 per sponsorship.

Steve Steadman said that he is only awaiting delivery on a few backordered items from a 6-page items list. The capital region chemical rep will come back to assess the course, but there are some issues with the existing equipment which causes uneven application of chemicals. Steve did not believe that the second snow mold chemicals were applied to the greens after the fire. He is working to get the greens ready, irrespective of the equipment opportunities, to ensure the course is ready for opening.

Steve received a call from John Halloran of Grassland Equipment, stating that the greens mower could be delivered as early as the middle of next week. Steve has been hand mowing the greens to make sure they are ready for the golfers. Additionally, he needs to assemble a lot of equipment for which he has help.

Denny spoke about two priority issues, of which one, a robust water source for irrigation, has been an existing problem. Stephen Kaye, golf course architect, and Denny identified 4 – 5 new water sources on the back 9. The second priority is removal of trees that have long hindered Golf Course maintenance. He added that the Town of Caroga has resources to assist in tree removal. Denny mentioned that the new score cards show 5500 yards from the back T’s and this course needs an additional 700 yards of expansion to accommodate the needs of a modern golf course. He remarked that solving the water and tree issues is a key priority to improve grass growth and course maintenance. The 4.27.2021 committee meeting with the golf course architects will give this group an in depth look at the course property and set priorities for a long-term plan.

G. Centi noted that there are membership fees and other fee structures that would be discussed during the Town Board meeting this date at 7PM. He hoped the course would open early next week, dependent upon this week’s weather.

Linda Gilbert asked about abandoned wells already on the course as a source of water. The committee considered these water sources, but they are likely not adequate to handle the irrigation demands of this course, which could be upwards of 50 – 100K gallons per day. [editors note: this is the equivalent to two swimming pools of water.] D. Fincke advised that the sprinkler system should be automated. S. Steadman said that it’s a manual process and a poor way to keep the greens in optimal condition. Overwatering contributes to moss formation which is detrimental. Underwatering creates other issues.

Questions from the audience: Is there a handicap posting system available to users of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) used for mapping. J. Groom had already installed a handicapping system thru the US Golf Association (USGA) and the Nick Stoner Municipal Golf Course Point of Sale (POS) system. It costs $25 per golfer/member to use the system. There was a question regarding the types of chemicals used on the course. S. Steadman explained that he is primarily using the same types of chemicals available to the public; but other chemicals require an EPA license to apply as they are restricted use chemicals. He further explained that Long Island drives many of these licensing requirements due to its proximity to waterways. G. Centi agreed to provide clarification at the next Zoom Steering Committee meeting on 4.28.2021 at 6:00PM. There was a question regarding the number of memberships. J. Groom shared that there are 23 members thus far. R. Sturgess added that most members sign up in May or during their first play. J. Groom shared that there are 5 tournaments scheduled outside of other tournaments that are Town sponsored, and that league play is already scheduled every day of the week with space for more league play.

There was a question regarding youth recruitment to which J. Groom spoke about wanting our youth to come back and learn the fundamentals of golf through other golf-like games (frisbee toss for example). He plans to do something with the Wheelerville Union Free School during the winter months. He added that he has the desire to teach, despite not being a golf professional, and that the Professional Golf Association (PGA) has no issues with him teaching. He added that the USGA advised that he could teach now.

S. Horton added that the committee really appreciated what viewers said today, encouraging the community to support the golf club and course and help us help you.

G. Centi closed the meeting at 7:05PM.

Respectfully submitted by Tor Shekerjian, Confidential Secretary to Scott Horton, Town Supervisor