Crews begin golf course upgrades

$40 thousand approved for course improvements

 

  • Yoakum public works crews begin improvements to hole No. 7 at the Yoakum Municipal Golf Course greens on Monday, May 16.
    Yoakum public works crews begin improvements to hole No. 7 at the Yoakum Municipal Golf Course greens on Monday, May 16.
  • The Yoakum City Council gave Assistant Director of Public Works Greg Miears to move forward with purchasing Sunday bermudagrass at last Tuesday’s Council meeting.
    The Yoakum City Council gave Assistant Director of Public Works Greg Miears to move forward with purchasing Sunday bermudagrass at last Tuesday’s Council meeting.
  • Small portions of greens on some holes, like hole No. 3 pictured, were replaced with Sunday bermudagrass, and the healthy 328 grass remained.
    Small portions of greens on some holes, like hole No. 3 pictured, were replaced with Sunday bermudagrass, and the healthy 328 grass remained.

    The Yoakum Municipal Golf Course was approved to receive $40 thousand for golf course and facility improvements through the American Recovery Program Act (ARPA) during last week’s Yoakum City Council meeting.

     

    While the council gave direction to Assistant Director of Public Works Greg Miears to move forward with purchasing Sunday bermudagrass for the greens, the amount allocated also aimed to address several other concerns mentioned at the meeting.

     

    During the meeting, Miears explained to the council that he consulted several experts that agreed Champion turf was not ideal for Yoakum’s course. Ultimately, he hoped to follow a similar plan used by Jimmy Clay Golf Course in Austin to combat dying golfing greens.

     

    “They experienced a lot of dying grass… since there was no 328 (also referred to as Tifgreen bermudagrass), they got something really close that blends it. It’s called Sunday bermudagrass. It’s kind of along the same lines as the 328 (turf we currently have),” said Miears. “It’s really durable. The only thing, it’s kind of like what we have now. If you have another winter storm like (February 2020), you might have the same (result).” 

     

    Miears said 10,000 square feet of the new grass would be delivered by May 16 on a refrigerated truck for $5,750 with an additional $500 for sand. He included the price of greens-mower parts, grass, sand, and more in an estimate to the council.

     

    “How can we get the best results for the least amount of money..” started Miears. “When I did the number(s), it was $30 grand on the buttonhead.”

     

    YGA President Patrick Matusek said that 10,000 square feet would likely be sufficient to cover the necessary portions of the course. He said that a decision was needed soon from the council to avoid the warm summer weather causing complications. 

     

    “I really expect this to do well. (I’m) so confident in it…,” said Miears of the Sunday bermudagrass. “I think everybody in seven weeks will say, ‘this golf course looks better than it ever has.’ That’s my opinion; I’ll stand by it.”

     

    Further down the agenda, the council approved allocations of ARPA funds with $40,000 to be earmarked for course improvements.

     

    “So, $40 thousand is out there to spend for the (betterment) of the golf course….” said City Manager Kevin Coleman later in the meeting. “Over the last four or five years, they’ve been gracious and underwritten portions of projects. So, I just encourage y’all to look at the overall needs of the golf course facility. Obviously, the greens is going to be high up there.” 

     

    On Monday morning, public works crews worked to properly plant the new grass on bare patches of the greens throughout the course. Temporary greens will replace those requiring improvements for approximately seven weeks.

     

    The council expects to review a thorough plan concerning expenditures for the remaining funds from the allocation at their regular meeting in June.