Fort Huachuca, AZ. - Since 2009, the Mountain View Golf Course has made many changes to improve the golfing experience for the Fort Huachuca and Sierra Vista community. These changes are focused on providing a more "desert-like" feel while still presenting all that a traditional golf course should offer.
Some of these changes include the elimination of more than 2,800 gophers from the grounds, a renovated practice green, live grass, new turf and new irrigation placed on the driving range, and on average, 20 new golf carts cycled in annually.
Also, there has been $95,000 invested into new equipment to assist in the maintenance of the golf course. An industrial blower, fertilizer spreader, two new utility vehicles and a rough mower are a few of the items purchased.
Steve O'Hearne, director of golf/course manager, states, "Now what you are going to see is, if you were to take an aerial view of the golf course, you would see everything that is native to Fort Huachuca, and in the midst of that, you will see areas where you will see green grass. It is a pathway, a target-orientated golf experience versus a park … where it is all green and everywhere you look is trees."
During fiscal 2013, there will be more upgrades made to the tee complexes and the bunker systems. In two different phases, all of the tee complexes, except Tee One, Four and 14 will be replaced to support golf play. This improvement will increase the complexes' approximately 30,000 square feet, while maintaining the water limitations for recycled water usage on the course. Three sand bunkers will receive experimental drainage work with intent to remedy compaction problems resulting in poor sand quality. If successful, this work will be expanded to all current sand bunkers to improve playability.
Other improvements to be made are tree removal from the old maintenance area and restoration of natural grass back to the correct standards for play on the driving range.
With these efforts being made, there will be a change in the fee specials. The current fee special is $20 for 18 holes of golf and one shared golf cart rental. Today, this rate changes to $25 from 7 a.m. to noon, and $20 from noon to 6 p.m. This fee special will run until the middle of January. This will begin Phase 1 of the tee complex work (involving six holes), and the golf course will be in an "under construction mode."
Dennis Maruska, director, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, explains, "At that time, we will drop the special fee back to $20 all day. When Phase 1 is completed May 1, the special fees will increase to $30 open until 9:30 a.m., $25 after 9:30 until 2 p.m., and $20 after 2 p.m. until closing."
This will be the set fee schedule until Phase 2 (remaining 9 holes) of the tee complex construction begins in the middle of September. "At that time, the special fees will again go to $20 all day until Phase 2 is complete. Then, the fees will return to the $30/$25/$20 schedule," Maruska said.
"All of these improvements and changes are being made to provide a better golf experience," O'Hearne added. "The hope is that once we get the improvements completed, we will see improvement in tournament rounds and that the companies that are looking for a facility to host their golf events … that we attract that. Obviously, it [the improvements] helps our needs but at the same time, it just improves the quality of the grounds that potentially could be enjoyed."
Amenities included at the Mountain View Golf Course are locker rooms, a golf pro shop for patrons to purchase equipment and accessories and golf lessons. Patrons can grab a bite to eat at the 19th Hole Clubhouse as well.
For more information on the fee schedule, tee time scheduling or business hours, call 533.7088. For general information, visit http://www.mwrhuachuca.com/mtview.html.
Social Sharing