It’s official, RiverWatch Golf Club will now be maintaining the Smithville Municipal Golf Course beginning immediately.
The agreement was passed during last week’s monthly meeting of the Smithville Mayor and Alderman who agreed to the one-year deal that will bring the course back to a higher standard for the residents and visitors of DeKalb County.
The course had been on lease to Tony Poss who decided to opt out last month and the course has been closed since. It doesn’t take long without regular maintenance for a golf course to fall into disarray, and RiverWatch owner Ken Lacy said they plan on starting to work as soon as possible to bring it up to snuff.
“Basically we’re offering the maintenance and renovation services to bring the golf course back to the status that you and the public want to see. We have the facilities, equipment, manpower, and knowledge. I have been in the golf course business since 1981. I have been a golf pro and superintendent. I have built and designed six golf courses from staging, planning, development, grow in, all the way through,” said Lacy.
With tourism dollars growing at the rate the made DeKalb County number two in the state last year, having a second golf course can give the area a 1-2 punch when it comes to hitting the links, attracting even more attention both locally and across the country.
RiverWatch Golf Club attracted the AJGA Junior tournament, a world-class competition, this year that had 78 golfers from 12 states and four foreign countries, ages 12-19, competing in the 54-hole, stroke-play tournament.
DCHS player Isaac Walker competed in the tournament at RiverWatch, which the DCHS team calls home. Lacy makes this possible by donating the service to the high school without charge during the year and hopes to incorporate a close relationship with the city golf course as well, offering discounts at RiverWatch if you’re a member of the city course among other options.
Instead of leasing the course out again, the city plans on hiring a manager who will work with RiverWatch personnel to help and learn how to maintain the course properly, adding another level of service provided to the city by RiverWatch. Any revenue gained from the course then goes back directly to the city.
Costs paid to RiverWatch total $74,115, of which the city had allocated $7,000 already for golf course maintenance and the remainder will come from the general fund.
The maintenance contract breaks down as:
RiverWatch will provide the following services: Daily onsite golf course maintenance management; aerification process; top dressing greens; fertilization/chemical applications (application equipment provided by RiverWatch); all equipment for day-to-day operations for golf course (greens mower, tee mower, fairway mower, walk blower, PTO blower and a PTO driven gang unit rough mower); RiverWatch will maintain all sharpening and adjusting of reels and blades during the contract period.
The city’s responsibilities under the contract will be as follows:
City supplies working irrigation system; all course-related liability insurance; all chemicals, sand, special project rental equipment and general maintenance and expense. (This includes all wear items, such as reels, belts, bed knives, oil changes, nuts, bolts, fuel, etc.); city is responsible for all fuel for all equipment; and city agrees to provide three pool laborers per week as needed to assist in non-skill specific course maintenance.