Daysland Golf Club celebrates completion of new Island Green

The Daysland Golf Course is celebrating its 65th year of business by opening a new attraction: an island green on the newly renovated third hole.

The project has been in the works for the better part of a decade, and the new third hole and extended fourth hole are finally in use.

Club Grounds Superintendent Gerry Blatz has been working on the project for five years, but says that it had already been in progress for two years when he took the position.

He laid out the progress of the green over the five years that he has been a part of the project.

During Blatz’s first year, the fourth fairway was graded, the new green was sized, and the irrigation was all plowed in.

In his second year, the fourth fairway was seeded.

His third year on the project was busy, with the new tee box being built, the tee boxes on both holes three and four were sodded, and the island green was edged.

Last year, the new green was sodded as well. This year, the green was opened for play in July.

“I’ve never dug so many holes in my life,” Blatz said of the project.

“I just can’t say enough good things about it,” said Bob Hanrahan, one of the original founders of the course.

“I can see the water coming up already from the balls in the water,” Hanrahan added with a laugh.

The green has only been open for a short time, and the par three has already seen two hole in ones.

Much of the work was done by volunteers, and there were several work bees held to get the job done.

Blatz added that there are no grants available for small courses such as theirs, and without volunteers it would be hard to stay afloat.

“There’s a limit to how much you can charge,” he said, noting that fees for players simply is not enough to keep the course in running condition.

Blatz expressed his gratitude to the help they receive not only from volunteers, but from the ag industry in the Daysland area.

“Without the ag businesses and farmers’ support, we’d be in dire straits,” he said.

He added that the Farmer’s Scramble tournament, which has a silent auction as well, has raised over $100,000 for the club over the past few years thanks to the generous donations they receive.

The funds have been used to make several needed improvements to the quality of the course.

Blatz believes that available recreation, such as the golf course, should be a selling feature when attracting young people to the area.

“Today’s young people, who we need, can’t afford to play this game in the city,” he said.

He hopes that the upgrades to the course, as well as the low fees, will bring more golfers to the area.

“In the five years I’ve been here, it’s been a challenge. Hopefully we’re winning.”

Megan Lockhart,
Staff Reporter