Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Parks & Recreation

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Mark Hecker, Parks & Maintenance Superintendent
CC:	Jonathan Douglass, Assistant to the City Manager
DATE:	December 18, 2007
RE:	Eagle Bend Golf Course

Over the past few months Parks and Recreation staff evaluated the condition of Eagle Bend Golf Course and conducted a survey of golfing patrons to help establish priorities for future improvements to golf operations. Attached is a memo describing the process used for the patron survey and the significant findings. We anticipate doing similar surveys three times per year in the future.    

Also attached are two internal evaluation summaries of golf course conditions on 09-21-07 and 11-15-07. These evaluations were completed by all full-time maintenance, operations and administrative staff associated with the golf course. The first evaluation was done when the golf course was under the most stress from high temperatures and heavy play at the end of the summer. The second was done at the end of the fall growing season. This type of evaluation helps isolate specific areas on the course that may need a change in maintenance program. By making the prescribed changes we hope not to see these same problem areas next year. Implementation of the listed changes will begin in early spring, and the evaluation process will be repeated three or four times per year to monitor their effectiveness.    

One change the department already plans to implement is changing the fairways over to warm season Zoysia grass, which thrives in hot summer months and should not have the summer burn down problems that have occurred on some of the fairways. Most new courses in the Kansas City area have installed Zoysia and many older courses are undertaking conversion programs. We plan to start this conversion process early next year by strip sodding Zoysia into our worst fairways (#1 & #10), and begin managing these area for warm season turf production. This will be a multi-year project and we will proceed to the next set of holes as funds are available in the operating budget.