The Kenai Golf Course is up and running with the earliest start date ever. We opened the front nine on April 19. Currently the entire course is open with carts. The only temporary green is No. 14. That green is still about a week away from being ready.
It’s time to play golf! All leagues will be up and running the week of June 1. We have two Ladies Leagues, Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. and Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. Entry fee is just $5. Seniors play at 9:30 on Tuesday mornings. Men’s Night is Thursdays at 6 p.m.
A new league is for juniors and adults. The league starts June 11 and will be Thursday mornings at 9:30. The goal of this league is to pair two juniors with two adults. Hopefully, the adult golfers will help mentor golf strategy and etiquette, and the junior golfers are sure to make the adults enthused with their energy and budding golf skills.
Juniors play for free in this league because the Kenai Golf Association is paying their greens fees. Each of these leagues play nine holes, alternating front and back each week.
The entire watering system is up and watering the greens. In fact, we have been watering the greens for about 10 days now. The greens are in great early season condition. They are full and growing and greening up quickly. A few areas need a little slit seeding.
They are in the best early season condition in a long time. They were cut for the first time Sunday. We will gradually cut the greens lower as conditions allow. In the meantime, the greens will be verticut, aerated and fertilized. Thank you for all the positive comments we have received about the condition of the Kenai Golf Course.
The fairways and tee boxes are in excellent shape. The entire course, especially the greens, are turning green. We are indeed excited about the coming golf season.
We have already begun the work on the third hole. We are building new cart paths that will connect both the upper and lower tee boxes extending all the way to the tee box on the fourth hole. The upper part of the cart path was completed last year. The entire project will be completed this year.
When the project is completed, two additional tee boxes will be added. The ladies, or forward tee box, is already in place on the lower right-hand side. We will begin top-dressing and seeding when conditions allow.
A new senior tee box will be constructed about 40 yards down from the lower tee box. In all, we will have four different tee boxes to accommodate all levels of play. We are also cleaning brush on the left-hand side all the way up to the green. We are also seeding and adding sod to the most playable areas.
Thank you for your patience as we continue working on this very ambitious project, which will also include French drains to help dry up that area more quickly. I would like to thank Chris Kimball, Dan Young and Jerry Norris for all their hard work and Ron Goecke for some great ideas. It is exciting to see a project like this take shape. We will continue to make improvements in other areas as the season progresses.
There will be a Junior Golf Clinic from June 22 to 24, 6 to 8 p.m., and July 27 to 29, also 6 to 8. The instructors for this clinic are Tommy Carver and Gordon Griffin. All boys and girls ages 7 to 14 are invited to participate. Classes are limited in size so the youngsters can have individualized attention appropriate to their skill levels. Teaching professional Tommy Carver will instruct students in all areas of golf. For more information, call the clubhouse at 283-7500.
Hook-a-Kid-on-Golf is June 1 to 5. This is a weeklong clinic for 24 junior golfers. The event is free for all participants. At week’s end, students will be schooled in the short game, the long game and golf etiquette. During the graduation ceremony all students will receive a diploma, golf balls and a full set of junior clubs. The program is sponsored by Bob Sizemore and Atigun, the Kenai Golf Association and the Kenai Golf Course. We would like to thank the Kenai Bowling Association for the generous donation to Hook-a-Kid-on-Golf at the Kenai Golf Course. We would also like to thank other members of the Kenai Golf Association for their generous donations.
There will be Beginning Ladies Golf Clinics from June 1 to 3, July 6 to 8, July 20 to 22 and Aug. 10 to 12, each at 6 to 8 p.m. These clinics are for ladies who are beginning golfers or those who would like a good review of basic golf skills. Teachers will help with the long game, short game, sand traps, hazards and general knowledge of the game. We keep it fun and low pressure and will have students playing on the course on the third day. No clubs? No problem. We have golf clubs to get you started.
There also will be Intermediate Ladies Golf Clinics on June 25 and 26, July 13 and 14, and Aug. 3 and 4, each from 6 to 8 p.m. Want to get on the green? This clinic is designed so you can hit your ball onto the green whether from 125 yards out or 25 yards out. Ladies will learn to be proficient with their wedges and short irons, and score better than ever before. Ask any of the ladies who took this class last year and they’ll tell you IT WORKS!
Atigun Cup
The Atigun Cup is a season-long points race sponsored by Atigun and Bob Sizemore. Points are awarded by participation in the five Kenai Golf Association events, The Morgan Kick-Off Tournament, the Memorial, the Donnie Morgan club championship, and the Kenai Open. Points are earned according to how you finish in those events.
At the end of the season, the top eight in the Gross Division and the top eight in the Net Division will participate in a playoff system. The playoffs are all match play. The entry fee for this competition is $50 per person. All entry fee money is returned to the winners with special prizes such as half-season passes, driving range passes, and clubs and balls, provided by the Kenai Golf Course.
The first Atigun Cup Event will be the Dick and Shirley Morgan Kick-Off Tournament on June 6 and 7. This tournament honors the contributions of Dick and Shirley, the Kenai Golf Course Founders. Although Shirley is no longer with us, she will be in our hearts and minds. The tournament registration fee is $75, which includes greens fees. This is a handicap stroke play event. I would like to encourage everyone to participate in this special event.
As you can see, we are off to a great start at the Kenai Golf Course. If you have any questions or comments about any of our programs or activities, please call the clubhouse at 283-7500. As always, see you on the course.
