Golfers: Check out the new programs and upgraded practice range at Briardale Greens
Golf question of the month: What do you do with 3,600 tons of sod? You know, the stuff they lay down to create new lawns.
Well, if you’re the management team at Briardale Greens Golf Course, you plant most of that sod on top of the clay base that for years has frustrated attempts to spruce up a rather unsightly driving range.
The range, which was closed last September to allow the new sod to take hold, reopened in May of this year, much to the delight of area golfers.
In all, Billy Casper Golf, the management firm that contracted with the city of Euclid to operate the course, invested approximately $50,000 to bring the Briardale practice range up to snuff. In addition to all that new sod, the range also has new synthetic mats in the hitting area. Coupled with a layer of cushioning beneath the mats, the net effect is to reduce wear and tear on golfers’ wrists and forearms, explains Briardale golf professional Adam Westendorf.
“You also get more accurate feedback on your shots,” he adds. “If you hit a shot a little fat, the ball doesn’t go as far as it would have from the old, harder mats. You get the same result you would get if you hit a fat shot off of grass.”
Westendorf, who was an assistant pro in Springboro, Ohio, took the Briardale post in 2010 when the Billy Casper organization assumed responsibility for managing the course. Patrick (“Pat”) Kirn, Briardale’s general manager, also landed in Euclid about the same time.
Kirn had been managing a course in Jacksonville, Florida. Asked what prompted him to depart the Sunshine State for a job in Northeast Ohio, he quipped: “They promised me that the weather up here would be perfect. But what they didn’t say was that it is ideal only between June and August.”
Interviewed just a few days after the practice range reopened, Kirn said he had heard “nothing but compliments” about the improvements. One of the enhancements was the addition of five target greens for golfers to aim at. Another change has been the introduction of extended hours; the practice range is now open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
“We sell the last bucket of balls at 9 p.m.,” Kirn points out. And, during the current stretch of longer-lasting daylight, golfers wishing to play a few holes before sunset will be able to rent golf carts as late as 8:30 p.m.
Along those lines, Briardale is now promoting a new Twilight Play and Practice (TPP) program. For a $29-per-month program fee, golfers will be entitled to play golf for $10 after 4 p.m., with or without a cart. They’ll also get unlimited range balls for practice sessions at any time of the day, plus special discounts and TPP-only events and clinics.
There is one hitch, however. Participants in the TPP program must agree to pay the $29 monthly fee for a period of six months.
Players Series
Another new program is the Briardale Player’s Series, Saturday and Sunday golf events leading up to a club championship tournament. The events will feature different formats and include food and prizes. There is a one-time sign-up fee of $15. By playing in each event, golfers will accumulate points leading to Player of the Year honors.
The next Player’s Series event will be a two-man Fathers Day scramble June 19, starting at 9 a.m. Other events are slated for July 17 (2 p.m.) and Aug. 14 (9 a.m.) The series will conclude with the club championship tournament on Sep. 10-11.
Junior golf clinics and leagues
Also on tap are Tuesday golf clinics for juniors, from June 14 to July 19. The clinics will be held from 9 to 9:30 a.m. for youngsters ages 10-17, and from 9:45 to 10:15 a.m. for ages 6-9. There is a one-time fee of $30 for the clinics.
Junior leagues will also get under way on June 14 (likewise on Tuesday mornings) and run through Aug. 2. For youngsters aged 10-17, league play will begin at 9:45 a.m. They’ll play nine holes of golf, with an emphasis on learning and enjoying the game. The cost: $10 weekly greens fees after a one-time $45 sign-up fee. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the season.
For “super juniors” (the 6- to 9-year age group) league play will consist of about three holes of golf, starting after the older kids have teed off. “The younger kids will play as many holes as they can get in between 10:30 a.m. and noon,” Westendorf explains. “Parents can plan on picking up all of the kids at noon.” The $55 sign-up fee for this group includes all greens fees for the duration of the league.
Best times for open golders
The 2011 Briardale golf season will also feature about 30 adult leagues on various days and at various times, including the Irish American Club league on Thursday afternoons. Golfers interested in open play might find it easiest to secure tee times in the vicinity of 11 a.m. or 3 p.m., depending on the day, Kirn advises. “And, of course, at 8:30 at night!”
From Monday through Friday, regular (non-senior) greens fees for 18 holes are $22 for walkers or $35 with a riding cart. Seniors pay $5 less. Weekend rates are typically higher, although seniors get a discount after 2 p.m.
John Sheridan
Retired journalist. From 1963 to 1972, wrote for and edited the Euclid News-Journal, predecessor to the Sun-Journal. From 1972 to 2000, I was a writer and editor for Industry Week magazine. Also have worked for the Plain Dealer as a part-time sportswriter, covering high school sports. And I was a contributor to the previous Euclid Observer. I have lived in Euclid for almost my entire life. I am a graduate of St. Joseph High School and John Carroll University.