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Because of their somewhat remote locations, golf courses are occasionally targeted by vandals.
One victim, Bangor Municipal Golf Course, has been working recently on repairing the damage done, and the vandalized 17th green is nearly ready for play again.
“We’ll have it open within the next week or so,” said Bangor head pro Brian Enman.
Last fall, someone drove across the green, spinning the wheels and tearing up the turf, according to Enman.
“It was a small pickup with rear-wheel drive,” said Enman, based on the kind of tracks that were left.
The only way to fix the turf would be to resod it, and that couldn’t be done until temperatures started rising this spring, said Enman.
“It was too late in the season last year,” he said. “This year we had to wait until the soil temperature started rising.
“If the temperature isn’t up, there’s no growth.”
The Bangor Muni grounds crew used approximately 800 square feet of new sod to fix the 8,000-square-foot green.
While the work has been going on, players have had to use a temporary green. That will end soon.
“[The green] looks like its coming in very well,” said Enman. “It still won’t be perfect [for a while], but it will be better than a temporary.”
Similar incidents have happened occasionally in the past, but preventing it may prove challenging, expensive – and stark.
“It would be awfully tough, short of putting a fence around everything,” said Enman, “and that wouldn’t look very good.”
A gate was put up years ago across Webster Avenue, a dead-end street that runs through the golf course, in order to control access to some of the more remote parts of the golf course.
“We could block all the entry points, but we’d like to be able to access the golf course without having to unlock and lock everything,” said Enman.
The fence remains an option, though.
“If we keep having trouble, we may have to look at it,” said Enman.
GBO widening sponsor search
For the first time, the Greater Bangor Open Golf Tournament board of directors is using advertising to seek additional sponsors.
“We’re looking ahead to the future,” said Mike Rair, president of the board. “We’re trying to get people who aren’t involved now.”
Tournament committee members still make personal visits to potential sponsors. Through the ads, Enman said the committee thinks it can reach a wider group.
“It’s something we’ve never done before,” Enman said, “and we might have lost out [on sponsors] because of it.
“It gives us better visibility.”
About 85-90 percent of the sponsors return each year, said Rair. Some sponsors participate some years, but not every year. The board is trying to make sure the sponsor pool continues to be wide enough to keep the tournament filled.
Sponsorship levels are $250 and $1,000. A company gets one playing spot at the lower level, three spots plus other perks at the higher level.
Sponsors play in a foursome with a pro and two other sponsors (or all three amateurs can be from the same company) in a format where each team member plays his or her own ball. Many charity tournaments now use the popular scramble format where each member of a group hits a shot, they select the best one, and each plays the next shot from there.
“We want people to know we’re offering something different,” said Enman. “Some people like playing their own ball.”
Rair said, “We trying to focus on the competitive golfer. People can see how they do against the pros.”
Rair said he has noticed an increase in interest already due to the advertising.
Eventually, Rair said, he’d like to see sponsors lining up to get into the tournament.
“I’m hoping it’ll become first-come, first-served,” he said.
Rair knows he and future committee presidents will have their work cut out for them because of the large number of charity golf tournaments now being held.
“It’s the way people raise money around here in the summer,” said Rair.
With so many tournaments seeking players, it becomes an issue of both money and time for golfers and their companies. That’s why the GBO is trying to emphasize its uniqueness.
“For people who want to play with a pro who may be on the PGA Tour some day, this may be their chance,” said Rair.
The 36th GBO, with its $50,000 purse, is scheduled for July 25-27 at Bangor Municipal Golf Course with the pro-am set for July 24.
XL to open disc golf course
XL Golf in Hermon is opening an 18-hole Frisbee/disc golf course on Thursday.
The sport involves throwing a disc across a field or other area and around obstacles such as trees toward a post or other object that marks the green.
The 5,018-foot, par-69 course – named Gopher Ridge – has water on four of its holes, including one island green.
The course will be lighted for night play. The cost is $4 for 18 holes, $8 for unlimited play.
The facility will be open Sunday through Wednesday until 11 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday until 1 a.m.
Dave Barber can be reached at 990-8170, 1-800-310-8600, or by e-mail at dbarber@bangordailynews.net.
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