Thursday, March 19, 2009
By Jon Moffett
The men played a round at Mill Creek Park North Course in Boardman.
BOARDMAN — Joe Quinn has golfed longer than many people have lived.
After a long winter hiatus, the 85-year-old Boardman resident was eager to get onto the greens and enjoy his 75-year hobby. He and three friends took advantage of Tuesday’s warm weather and played a round at the Mill Creek Park North Course in Boardman.
“I’ll tell you what, if you get to play golf in March in Ohio, you’re lucky,” said Bruce Wilkins. “I think I’m dreaming. It’s not done snowing yet, but I’ll take this.”
Rounding out the foursome were Bill Dodgson and Pat Battaglia, both in their 80s. The four men play golf three days a week, weather permitting, as part of a Senior Skins league. Wilkins is the kid of the group; a feisty 74.
“They like it when I come along because I can still see the ball,” Wilkins said, laughing. He added the group was eager to get back on the course, but were a little out of practice from the previous season.
“We’re all a little rusty,” he said, “but we’re still rusty in August, too.”
Julian Landau and Brian McGovern, both 18 and from Boardman, also hit the links Tuesday. The pair took a break from college classes – Landau at George Washington University and McGovern at Youngstown State University – to play a round of golf.
“We’re enjoying the weather,” Landau said. “It’s great to have the sun because it’s been gross for the past few months. It’s nice to be able to get outside.”
Landau admitted golf was just a hobby and McGovern said he rarely plays. But a relatively balmy 63-degree temperature brought the pair to the course to knock off some rust and escape the rigors of class.
“It’s a nice way to enjoy the spring weather,” Landau said.
The course usually opens in early April, said Dennis Miller, course golf director, but the decision was made to start a few weeks early because of the nice weather.
“I remember when it first snowed in the middle of November, and it was like the winter never let up,” Miller said. “Just judging by the phone calls we’ve received in the last week, people have been waiting for this day and I’m glad we’re open.”
Another reason people are eager to resume their golf game is the economic climate. The stress of finance can be alleviated at the course, Miller said.
“We are going to look into offering more discounts,” Miller said. “We have a lot of programming in the park that we do not charge for, and if we do charge it is a very nominal fee. I think families should take advantage of what we have to offer here.”
Nine holes of golf costs a Mahoning Valley resident $8.75 walking or $13.50 for a cart. Seniors pay $7 walking and $11.75 with a cart.
Miller said the course has not raised its rates in 11 years.
Though spring doesn’t officially begin until Friday, this week’s warmth was certainly welcomed after a winter marked by record snow and bitter temperatures.
“We wait until we get five good days of weather to get out and get everything cut at least once on the greens, tees, fairways and rough,” Miller said. “We also get all the debris picked up; the sticks and the limbs that fell during the winter. The weather has cooperated and we were able to open early.”
Preparation and maintenance of the 36 holes, which includes the North and South courses, is not easy task.
“Each spring we have a lot of cleanup to do from the previous winter,” said Perry Toth, the course superintendent. “Of course we get all the tee markers painted, as well as benches and ball washers. We get new flags, cups and poles to get us ready for the season.”
Toth has been a golf course superintendent for 24 years, spending the last five with Mill Creek Park. He said preparing the 18-hole North course took about two weeks. Work has started on the South course, which is more difficult to maintain due to more trees along the course.
The course brought back its seasonal employees March 9, and started the process with safety and equipment training. After that, the work on the course begins.
“We get everybody out and just go hole by hole,” Toth said. “You go from tee to green, go in order and clean as we go.”
jmoffett@vindy.com
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