Blog Hidden Fairways Course News
Clearly, the golf industry has been suffering as a by-product of our nation's... and the world's... economic woes over the past couple of years. Budgets are being cut, staff is being reduced and courses are scrambling, in search of new profit centers. What I find most interesting is the "new" direction that big name golf courses, communities and developers are taking. They're "going green"! How nice.
For the most part, the courses featured on this web site have been "green" forever. Small staffs, careful use of resources, sustainable plantings and rational maintenance have been the norm for years among these courses. So when Jaime Diaz wrote in Golf World's November 30th issue, "In a growth spurt built on consumerism run amok, the game ended up with too much of the wrong stuff - overly watered and manicured golf courses, giant clubhouses, high green fees and membership dues, and a lot of talk about the golf industry and not enough about the golfer. The essential game got lost", he was... perhaps without knowing it... giving a figurative high five to courses across the country that fit the Hidden Fairways profile.
This section of From the Rough is dedicated to news that relates to these courses.
I have been trying to find/make time for months to visit a couple of courses in Tennessee that Hidden Fairways member, Garrett Roberson, suggested months ago. I've attempted to take off on 3 different occasions, but last week I finally made the trip and it was well worth the effort. Garrett nominated Laurel Valley Golf Course, in Townsend, Tennessee and River Watch Golf Resort, outside Sparta, Tennessee and both courses were ideal Hidden Fairways.
My first stop was at Laurel Valley. I left Atlanta at about 3:30 Wednesday morning and arrived in Laurel Valley just before 8am. In the dark and the fog. And temps in the low 50's. Ideal golf conditions! As luck would have it, the 8 o'clock tee time didn't show up so I was first off. Couldn't see my ball flight for the first 3 holes, but eventually the sun appeared and the fog gave way to a gorgeous Fall morning. No management types were around after I played so I left not knowing whether there would be any interest in Hidden Fairways, but less than an hour down the road, the golf shop manager gave me a buzz and said they'd love to join the Hidden Fairways community. So I returned Thursday afternoon and shot these photos. I'll be writing my review and publishing the course specifics within the next week or so, but for now... to borrow a phrase from The Arnold, "I'll be back". Sweet course. Well taken care of and run by some very nice folks.
The second course I visited was RiverWatch Golf Resort ( a name that doesn't actually fit, since there's no resort to be found ) outside Sparta, Tennessee. Unlike Laurel Valley, which nestles up against Smoky Mountain National Park, RiverWatch is in rolling Middle Tennessee farmland roughly 60 miles east of Nashville. Beautiful country, but very different from my morning stop. This course is a longer layout than Laurel Valley, at 6850 yards from the back tees, and is a real beauty. I enjoyed the design considerably, but the feature that really stoked my fire was the zoysia fairways. I LOVE zoysia fairways. I spoke with General Manager, Jennifer Silcox, and it was clear that she and the others involved in running RiverWatch love their course. The fact that they're still running the golf shop out of a trailer doesn't detract from the golf at all. Rather, it seems to me that it's an indication that keeping the golf course in good condition for their golfers is their top priority, because the golf course is in excellent shape. The greens had been punched and sanded the day before I played the course, but there was no sign at all of bare patches or weedy areas on them. They looked great... just sandy with a bunch of 1/2" holes in them!
I'm completely thrilled to add these great courses to Hidden Fairways. Watch closely for their pages to be completed, and give yourself a present... a golf trip to Tennessee!
New Management Plans Improvements At Cider Ridge
Written by Dave SansomAs I have mentioned previously in this blog, the city of Oxford recently signed a new management agreement with Honours Golf, of Birmingham, Alabama, to help get things on track with the local treasure that is Cider Ridge Golf Club. Last week, I met Casey Smith, the new GM and Director of Golf and was impressed with what they've accomplished to date and with the commitment for improvements they've received from Oxford.
If There's a Finer Muni Than Cullman GC, I'd Love to Know Where!
Written by Dave SansomI spent an afternoon at Cullman Golf Course, in Hanceville, Alabama last week and was even more impressed than before. If there's a better managed, more beautifully maintained municipal golf course in the South, I'd love to know about it.