New Green Deal
KGA funds completion of another new green on golf course’s front-9
KINGFISHER GOLF Association Board members, from left, Bill Loyall, Derrick Wolf, Chad Burnham and Reggie Redwine (far right) along with Gary Wilson (second from right), who is the course manager and pro, played the ninth hole with its new green for the fi
LOCAL GOLFERS Bill Loyall, Chad Burnham and Gary Wilson watch as Derrick Wolf prepares to send his par putt toward the pin on the new ninth green at Kingfisher Golf Course. He missed. [KT&FP Staff Photo]
CHAD BURNHAM watches as his par putt nears the cup Wednesday on the new ninth green at Kingfisher Golf Course. [KT&FP Staff Photo]
Bill Loyall had one major complaint about the newest green at Kingfisher Golf Course.
“They put it too far down there,” said Loyall as he prepared to hit his second shot on the ninth hole from about 200 yards out.
The new green on No. 9 was being played for the first time early Wednesday afternoon by Loyall and some other fellow members of the Kingfisher Golf Association board of directors as well as Gary Wilson, club pro and golf course manager.
It opened last week after being reconstructed last fall and being allowed to grow in over the winter.
And while the hole is essentially the same distance as before, it should appear closer to Loyall and others who will play it.
Because it’s a whopper. “It’s about 5,000 square feet, which makes it one of the biggest we have now,” said Wilson.
It’s about 2,200 square feet larg- er than the previous green.
While it doesn’t have as much undulation as the new green opened last year on No. 4 , it’s not as flat as the old No. 9 green.
“It’s (a putt) is going to move more than it did on the old green,” Wilson said. “And there’s the potential for some really long putts if the pin is on one side and you land it on the other.”
The green’s construction began late last August and was completed in about a month.
It includes drainage and a state-of-the art sprinkler system.
It’s the latest in a series of new greens the KGA has sought to add to the frontnine of the golf course in the last several years, replacing those that were built in 1960s.
They’ve all been designed and built by Mike Chambers and Chambers Golf Construction.
The newest addition came at a cost of $40,850, which was paid for by the KGA.
That puts the total investment by the KGA into new greens on the front side at just over $160,000.
Also rebuilt to date have been greens on holes 3, 4, 7 and 8.
No. 5 was rebuilt just over 15 years ago, so it won’t be included in the current project.
That leaves just three more greens for rebuild: 1, 2 and 7.
No. 1 is next on the list. As with previous years, construction on it will be made beginning in late summer/early fall after the course’s busy season comes to a close.
“Our board and our parks and recreation department crew take a lot of pride in our course,” said Wilson. “This project is just one of the examples.
“Once it’s fully complete, it’s going to be a major upgrade for our course and we were really proud of it to begin with.”
The new green isn’t the only change members and visitors may notice.
The KGA purchased three truckloads of sod to place in areas that were damaged by the brutal winter season three years ago.
The cart paths on the back-nine have been repaired and sealed and a new concrete cart path to the No. 10 tee box was constructed.
“Our guys have been busy and we appreciate the work they’ve done,” said Wilson. “I think our golfers are going to be pleased as well.”