Fundraising has begun for a project designed to encourage local youth to play the game of golf by utilizing a planned putting and chipping practice facility adjacent to the new Aurora Community Clubhouse and Poco Creek Golf Course.
More than two-thirds of the money needed for the synthetic surface has already been raised, giving Aurora boys coach Craig Badura and other golf enthusiasts optimism that the project will proceed as planned.
The space adjacent to Poco Creek has changed considerably during the past year with the 2021 removal of an aging Vet’s Club building/clubhouse and construction of the new Aurora Community Clubhouse, which was completed last fall. That facility, which is owned by the non-profit Hamilton Recreation, Inc., sits where a practice putting green was previously located, which prompted Badura to start thinking of creative ways to utilize the adjoining space.
“With the addition of the clubhouse, which I think is great for our community, we took that old existing practice green out so we’re left with the old No. 9 green (for putting and chipping), which is not really conducive to practicing,” he noted. “Once they did the clubhouse, I got to looking at that space (south of the clubhouse) and thought to myself, aesthetically, if we could get something placed there it’s just going to make the clubhouse look even nicer than it already does.”
Having seen and played on a lot of quality golf courses around the country, Badura said he has noticed a growing trend where synthetic surfaces are installed for practice facilities as a way to both provide year-round play and reduce maintenance time and expense.
“There have been a number of colleges that have gone with synthetic surfaces and I’ve practiced on some of them,” he said. “I actually played on a course that has synthetic greens and they are as good as grass greens, so there are a lot of benefits.”
Badura pitched the concept to the Hamilton Recreation board, which endorsed the idea and eventually the proposed layout. The project is estimated to cost $265,000, of which $185,000 has already been raised.
Project details
According to a promotional piece on the project, the practice facility located directly south of the new clubhouse will cover approximately 11,000 sq. ft., with 4-5,000 sq. ft. too devoted to putting.
Badura said the layout features two large greens, each with multiple holes, as well as thicker areas around the greens from which golfers can work on their chipping game at various distances. Having that much space to work with will allow Husky golf teams to practice all at the same time during the season, he said, and also improve the course’s ability to host tournaments and youth training events.
“The Aurora boys/girls golf programs place a tremendous amount of emphasis on the short game and this will be a game-changer for our teams moving forward,” according to the promotional flier. “The addition of this practice area will also create an amazing area for our future summer golf camps, junior leagues and for everyone in our community interested in the game of golf.”
“The area right outside the door south of the clubhouse will be more of an elongated putting green, but you will still be able to chip to it so we want to be able to set up stations for practicing, Badura added. “The area over to the side (further to the south) will have a little bit more elevation as I wanted to have the ability for our kids to work on left-to-right, downhill and right-to-left lies. We’ve pretty much set it up to be the ultimate practice facility and that’s the kind of design you would want as a golf coach.”
The Aurora golf team will have a vested interest in the facility, Badura said, as he plans for his players to spend time at the beginning of each practice clearing the surface with a leaf blower.
“If we take care of it, it’s going to last probably 15, 18, up to 20 years,” he said. “I’m looking forward to our kids helping take care of it, which will give them ownership, not just loanership.”
Growing the game
Initial response to the proposed project has been positive, according to Kelly Grossnicklaus of Aurora, an avid golfer and member of the fundraising committee.
“I have a passion for the game and anything that we can do to just increase the interest in golf, particularly with younger kids, is a good thing,” Grossnicklaus said. “Hopefully they are going to latch on to and enjoy the game as much as I do. Golf is a game you can play into your older years, forever actually, versus many other sports that pretty much end when you get through high school.”
Grossnicklaus said he believes the proposed practice facility will be used by golfers of all ages all year long, particularly with the planned installation of night lighting.
“I think the location of this project and the fact that they are going to put a light out there so people can come down in the evenings will be great,” he added. “It will be a great complement to a wonderful new facility we have here with the community clubhouse. I would envision people going out after leagues, having games on this facility and just keeping people around. It’s very visible and I think it will be a great asset to the community, as well as to Poco Creek.”
On that note, Grossnicklaus noted that the facility will be open to anyone, not just Poco Creek members and Aurora High School golfers.
“I think this can only enhance the membership to Poco Creek as people get involved in the game of golf,” he said. “Craig is working to get some bigger, better youth programs going this upcoming summer and hopefully that will get a lot of younger people and people of all ages out there. Anything we can do to improve that and create some additional recreational facilities in the community is a good thing.”
Preliminary site work has already begun, although installation of the synthetic surfaces is scheduled for two weeks in May, assuming the fundraiser reaches its goal.
“We need the community’s support to complete this project and need to have all the funds raised by the end of February to schedule installation,” Badura noted.
“Both our kids are about done competing, so I really want to give back,” concluded Badura, whose son and daughter both play collegiate golf. “I think we could really utilize this space and do a lot of cool things in our community.”
Anyone wanting to make a donation or gain more information is invited to contact the Hamilton Community Foundation at 402-694-3200.