Golfers who have played Hermon Meadow Golf Club are familiar with the ponds and streams that dot the golf course.

Get ready for one more pond, one more big pond.

Course superintendent John Snyer is overseeing construction of a 60,000-square-foot reservoir to the right of the sixth hole that will help with irrigation of the course.

“We’ll be wrapping up the beginning of next week or the end of this week,” said Snyer. “As long as the weather cooperates, and I’m sure it will the way this summer has gone.”

And the way this summer has gone is the main reason for building the new pond.

“We decided to do it this summer because of the drought, to withstand these 50-year droughts,” said Snyer.

Currently, there are two big ponds on the course that are part of the club’s irrigation process.

There is a large pond near the 10th tee that serves as the distribution point. Pumps draw water from that pond into the irrigation system.

The pond in front of the sixth green is used as a feeder reservoir for the pond next to the 10th tee. The new pond will tie into that feeder system.

“We needed another reservoir,” said Snyer, who has been working at Hermon Meadow since the original irrigation system was put in in 1992. He pointed out that this year’s dry weather has dropped the water level in the pond on No. 6 quite a bit.

The new pond will dwarf the other ponds.

“It’ll be deeper and quite a bit bigger [than No. 6],” said Snyer.

“The one on six holds about 2 million gallons and the one on 10 is about 2 million gallons,” said Snyer. By comparison, the new one will hold 9 million gallons, he said.

There shouldn’t be any trouble filling it, either, according to Snyer, for two reasons.

“Drainage for half the golf course come through there,” said Snyer. “We would lose a lot in the spring [because of overflow].”

That should become less of a problem.

Plus, said Snyer, “There’s a spring at the bottom of the new pond. We’ve struck water.”

While that should be a boon once the pond is finished, it’s not entirely welcome during construction.

“We’ve had to pump twice already,” said Snyer, chuckling.

Snyer said the pond should not come into play for most golfers. Where it’s being built is in the wooded area to the right of the sixth fairway and behind the driving range.

“It’s not interfering with the golf course,” said Snyer. “Play is unaffected. That’s why we positioned the pond where it is.”

Snyer believes the impact on play will be more psychological than physical because a lot of trees have been removed.

“If you hit a shot into the trees before, it will go into the pond now,” he admitted, but, he added, “Mainly, it’s a visual thing. It looks harder, but it’s not really in play.”

He understands that his thinking on that may not match that of the golfers.

“You know how intimidating water is to golfers,” he said, with another chuckle.

CVA Golf Classic this weekend

Sugarloaf/USA will be hosting the 17th CVA/Sugarloaf Golf Classic Friday through Sunday.

The charity tournament raises money for the Martha B. Webber Scholarship Fund. The fund benefits the Carrabassett Valley Academy, a ski academy located at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain.

There is open registration for the event which consists of a scramble tournament on Friday, a best-ball format Saturday, and a two-man scramble on Sunday.

To reserve a spot, call 237-6812.

Ted Johns Sr. Memorial set

The 25th Ted Johns Sr. Memorial Coca-Cola Junior Classic will be held Sept. 1-3 at Carmel Valley Golf Links in Carmel.

Players will be split into four age groups.

Groups A (ages 15-18) and B (12-14) will play 18 holes each of the first two days. The entry fee is $35.

Group C (8-11) will play 18 holes on Sept. 1. The entry fee is $25.

Group D (5-7) will play nine holes on Sept. 1. The entry fee is $20.

The third day is a free nine-hole scramble for family and sponsors. That will be followed by lunch and an awards banquet.

Call Ted Johns Jr. at 848-2217. Deadline is Aug. 30.

Dave Barber is the NEWS golf writer. The Golf scene will appear each Wednesday through September. He can be reached at 990-8170 or by e-mail at dbarber@bangordailynews.net.