The final phase of a 20-year-old plan to restore a deteriorating golf course in Hutchinson (Kansas) is now underway.
Carey Park Golf Course Master Plan 2003 will enter its second phase in the rest of this year and into 2024.
Matt Miller, superintendent of Carey Park Golf Club, said: “We started in 2009 and have completed five phases.”
Hutchinson’s public golf courses were not organized until 1928, when a push was made to create one at Carey Park. Carey Park Municipal Golf Course opened in 1928. Ralph McCarroll, the park superintendent at the time, joined Emerson Carey Jr. to improve the course. This clubhouse was located on the South Loop.
The Carey family donated the old Carey Lakes Golf Course Clubhouse to the city in 1949 and it was moved to the Carey Park Municipal Course. The old clubhouse was moved to the north loop after the course had been reconfigured to accommodate the flood control levee. Tom Heintzman, who supervised the demolition in 1987, used this old clubhouse for many civic clubs. He designed the gazebo that is now in its place.
The construction began in the fall of this year with the removal and disposal of park equipment at 30 Emerson Loop, which is located southwest of the golf courses.
Miller said that the City Council voted and approved this plan in 2003. However, it takes some time to raise funds to continue with the process. He anticipates that it will be completed in eight stages.
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In this part of the course, phase six will replace main irrigation lines that are 60 to 70 years old. Sprinkler heads and lateral irrigation lines are older than 40 years.
It is more cost effective to expand now than to make this improvement.
The golf course is using the existing park restrooms and will provide golfers with restrooms every three to four golf holes and water coolers in the future.
The area is more isolated than others and therefore more vulnerable to vandalism.
As another safety concern, over the years we’ve seen small children wandering onto the course. Miller explained that this will create the separation necessary to keep children safe and help curb vandalism. It will also allow golfers to use the restrooms simultaneously.
The course will have 18 holes, but it may be lengthened or shortened depending on the concept that is chosen. The course will be a great challenge for golfers.
