Amenities, including the golf course, restaurant, swimming pool, and recreation center, got commissioners’ attention at the August 17 HISID meeting, and DM Lawrence Blood was frank. “Quite honestly there are people upset with what we are doing,” he said.
Amid Covid-19, amenities have been scaled back, which has resulted in management’s decision to exclude the amenities to non-property owners. Blood said this decision was in line with both the Arkansas Governor’s directive and the National Golf Foundation’s Covid-19 recommendations.
“Amenities are private facilities that are for the enjoyment and benefit of property owners,” he said. “The golf course is a very valuable asset—we cannot neglect it,” Blood said.
Blood and staff are considering a “Covid Cup” golf tournament to boost revenue, and commissioner Dan Kees said it is essential to maintain the course during the pandemic, and the value of a golf course is in the turf. Kees warned Blood not to let the greens or fairways deteriorate in the short run.
Blood insisted that if they do open the golf course to non-property owners, it could be done safely. “The sooner we open it up the better,” he said.
Kees pushed Blood to make a decision, especially approaching fall temperatures and the high-revenue potential. “We are just gonna have to give it our best shot,” Kees said. “I think we need to make that decision sooner rather than later.”
Commissioner David Orr asked if the decision was the purview of the manager or the board. Blood responded that he doesn’t like to make that decision, but he is responsible, acknowledging the board has the power to overrule his decision.
Blood decided to close the driving range for rest of the year and open the golf course by the end of the week to outside, non-property owners. “I think the two recommendations are good ones,” affirmed Chair Ken Brown, who recommended closing the driving range as the revenue there did not outweigh cleaning costs.