Hickory Ridge replaced a green, but is quick fix enough?

Allegations abound as Carbondale Park District takes the easy route to fix greens and increase funds

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Controversial interests surround Hickory Ridge Golf Course, the home of SIU women's golf, which has been losing money as the number of players on the course has decreased.

According to the Hickory Ridge Rounds of Golf Monthly/Yearly Comparison, the course's most played month is August. The number of rounds played since 2000 in that month are 4,176, 2,948, 3,102 and 2,946.

The course has been losing as much as $35,000 to $50,000 a month in fiscal year 2003 relative to the fiscal year of 2000, according to Linz Brown of the Hickory Ridge Golf Citizens Advisory Committee.

The committee is appointed by the Carbondale Park District board to make recommendations about the course.

Richard Grant, director of the park district, said he disputes Brown's numbers. He does acknowledge that the course has spent $86,627 more than it earned, excluding debt service, which was $327,945. These figures were from the 2002 fiscal year, Grant said.

Brown had a copy of the Hickory Ridge Revenue/Expense Comparison, where he said he was getting his numbers. The table is public knowledge and is available to anyone who requests a copy.

So far in fiscal year 2003, the course has been losing between $13,000 and $40,000 per month. This doesn't include a $221,899 loss in December. Going back to 1999, the course lost money every December.

Paul H. Vermeulen, a United States Golf Association consultant, came in to evaluate the greens of Hickory Ridge, which had been severely deteriorated during the summer.

"The conclusion that I have come to," Vermeulen told the Carbondale Park District board, "is that this pattern of deterioration during the summer months is really related to how the greens were constructed and not necessarily how they're managed on a day-to-day schedule. And that is very important because in order to make progress in the future, I think we have to think about rebuilding some of the greens."

Vermeulen also took core samples of the No. 4 green that showed a sand variation, the depth of sand under the ground, of 13 to 27 inches. The normal standard is one to three inches.

Sand variation in large numbers causes surface water to drain unevenly. This, along with the drought and summer heat, is what has been causing the greens to dry out.

The advisory committee submitted a proposal to the Park District that suggested the board act immediately to cure the problem of the greens and to stop the "spiraling financial losses due to this condition."

All but one member of the advisory board signed the proposal. The non-signer was Chuck Vaught, the chair for the advisory committee. He said that he simply decided not to do it, choosing not to comment further.

Since Vermeulen made his presentation, three inches of topsoil have been removed from the No. 17 green, which was said to be in the worst shape of all. Grant said the sod was removed to put in a sand mixture. Vermeulen stated in his report that a replacement such as this would only be temporary.

Brown alleged the move was made without approval of the board, which he said was required because it was a capital improvement and needed the approval. The replacement, Brown said, cost about $5,000. Grant agreed with that figure.

In the May 14, 2001, minutes for the Carbondale Park District, Grant defined the capital improvement as any improvement or equipment costing over $3,500 and will last more than five years. It could cost $30,000 to completely replace a green, according to Brown, who said he got that number from Vermeulen.

"It was a maintenance item that the board does not need to approve," Grant said. "The board does not approve all capital improvements. The board must approve all expenditures over $10,000."

Despite these problems, SIU women's golf head coach Diane Daugherty said her plans for holding practice at Hickory Ridge will not change.

"They've been very good to us," Daugherty said. "We're not going to dump them in rough times. We'll stick behind them because they've stuck by us."

The Carbondale Park District will meet Monday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Carbondale Civic Center to further discuss the plight of the golf course.

Reporter Christopher Morrical can be reached at cmorrical@dailyegyptian.com