"Finally" might be the main thought going through Bob McMillin's head.
The general manager at Fred Arbanas Golf Course at Longview Lake is excited, as his course is finally getting what he calls a much-needed overhaul of the courses greens.
The course will close June 2 in order to begin the undertaking of replacing the greens on the championship course, as well as work on the bunker complexes.
It is expected to be open again in May 2009.
"Basically, it's going to be a $1.3 million venture," McMillin said. "It's going to be huge.
"We're really excited. We're finally getting great greens."
McMillin said the greens have been a concern at Arbanas for a long time.
"That's been the talk around Longview and the Fred Arbanas course is the greens," he said. "I've been with the county since 1985, and we have had crappy greens since then. They don't putt well; they need a lot of maintenance."
McMillin said the plans for the new greens call for bent grass greens, that will be cut to 1/10 of an inch.
"The (bent grass) is going to be very high end," he said.
Not only will the new greens be good for the golfers, McMillin said it will also be good for the course workers, as far as doing maintenance.
"It's a struggle every year to keep these old greens alive," he said. "We have water problems with them. You get an inch of (rain) and it runs through the greens. That's a no-no in the golf world. The water is supposed to drain away, not run through."
The greens won't be the only addition.
McMillin said the plan also includes work on the bunker complexes, improving the sand traps around the course.
"We're going to develop and reshape them," he said. "We'll put them in USGA expectation. There will also be lined mats (at the bottom) so the sand doesn't get contaminated. They'll all be packed with four inches of sand."
McMillin also said the greens will be improved to make them more impervious to weather.
"We have a lot of high-face bunkers," he said. "And every time it would rain, they would collapse a little bit."
The only negative to the project is having to close the course for nearly a year.
"It's going to set us back," McMillin said. "We're going to lose revenue for the majority of the golf season. We have April and May, but we lose the rest of this season. But we're sure it's going to pick up next year with the new greens."
McMillin said he was also sad for the regulars of the course, but said the new greens would make the year away more than worth it.
McMillin also said though the championship course will be closed, all of the other amenities would be open, including the driving range, putting greens and the par 3 course.
"We're staying open," he said. "The pro shop's going to be open. The driving range will still do good business. Our junior golf program will continue. Our par 3 course will be busier than ever.
"And I know our regular golfers are now going to visit some of the other area courses. But they'll be back. I know they will be. They stayed this long; they should come back once we get the new greens."
