Above: New England weather could interfere with the greens opening on schedule – but the Public Safety Building project and prior disappointing work bids shouldn’t stand in golfers’ way. (image from club website)
Last night, the Town Administrator updated the public on the status of projects at the Southborough Golf Club.* According to his report, the only threat to reopening on schedule this season is Mother Nature.
In the fall, the Board of Selectmen rejected a second round of too-high bids for work that would have fixed impacts of the Public Safety Building project on the Golf Course 1st tee and 9th green. You may have worried (as I did) that without that work the course may not be able to re-open. That’s not the case.
TA Mark Purple said a re-focused bid will be put out this year. Apparently, the first two RFPs released included work on the 8th green, irrigation work and some other items.
The new RFP will prioritize work on the 9th green and the first tee as the second item, and nothing else. Purple said that the architect reporting to the Golf Course Committee is preparing the final specs.
The TA acknowledged that course work wouldn’t be completed in time for March 15th. But temporary measures are in place to make the tee and hole work. He told selectmen that the course superintendent was satisfied that the visible progress will keep golfers excited about what’s happening at the course.
Other obstacles have either already been removed or are on schedule to be. The Club House was relocated and permits are expected to be completed in time. A ramp to the course should be completed this week.
Thanks to a Community Preservation Act funding the retaining wall was built and parking lot work mostly done. Some regrading is still needed and a pile to be moved. Handicap spots have a base coat done. (The finished coat will be completed later in the spring.)
Purple described the driveway to the parking lot as having “an abrupt entrance”. Work to fix that will happen over the next several months. It includes connecting to the Woodward driveway so buses can move through.
The TA report was at the request of Selectwoman Bonnie Phaneuf. She said residents needed reassurance about oversight of the project.
Purple told the board that he has spent a tremendous amount of time on the Golf Course. He noted that it’s a small budget compared to the Public Safety Building project. But he said that it was important to make sure “this piece works” since it was an important part of “the collaboration” that allowed the bigger project.
*formerly known as the St. Mark’s Golf Course.
Commenting on one word! The word is “Club,” as used in “Southborough Golf Club;”
To me, it has an exclusionary implication… Just for Southborough people? And, since clubs except for the kind needed to hit the ball… are something social that one must join and be with others in the club.
Suggestion: simply “Southborough Golf Course” or maybe even just “Southborough Golf.” Emphasis on the sport not any organization..
Best wishes for success…no matter it’s called.
Donna McDaniel
It was already officially renamed last February: https://mysouthborough.com/2018/02/27/swl-southborough-golf-club-to-replace-st-marks-golf-club/
The parcel was originally named Southborough Golf Club before it was gifted to St. Mark’s School. Proponents sought to celebrate the heritage.
It’s worth noting that the course had been officially called St Mark’s Golf Club on its website – though I never heard people refer to it as that.