PHOTOS COURTESY MONTGOMERY BELL GC
COURSE & GROUNDS
Ringing Endorsement Improvements to the Montgomery Bell Golf Course, part of the Tennessee Golf Trail and the state parks system, are the brass ring of better maintenance practices and playability for golfers of any level. By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor
In the early 1800s, middle Tennessee was home to a vibrant iron industry, and the Tennessee Iron Furnace Trail tells the story of those laborers and the places they worked. While the blast furnaces and forges may be a remnant of the past, 21st-century denizens are encouraged to explore another state trail—the Tennessee Golf Trail – and bring their irons with them. Part of the state parks system, the Tennessee Golf Trail consists of nine golf courses. One of them, the Montgomery Bell Golf Course of Montgomery Bell State Park in Burns, Tenn., might offer special appeal to history buffs. The park was once the center of the iron industry in middle Tennessee, and its namesake, Montgomery Bell, was an early 19th-century industrialist who helped build the region’s base, supplying cannon balls and other materials for the War of 1812. In recent years, Montgomery Bell golf course personnel have made efforts to extend the property’s appeal to golfers of all abilities. Mike Nixon, Special Assistant to the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), and the Tennessee State Parks Director of Golf Operations, was brought on board in 2011 to oversee operations for the entire golf trail. Nixon played professional golf for 15 years, and he has a background in golf course architecture and real estate development. “The Trail had a name, but no one was pushing hard to integrate all nine golf courses,” says Nixon. “I’m doing my part to give back to the game, which has been good to me.”
Enhanced Playability In turn, the changes that Nixon and Golf Course Superintendent Jeff Kuhns have implemented to improve playability and streamline maintenance at Montgomery Bell, which is 35 miles west of downtown Nashville, have been good for the course. In 2009, the property converted its greens from bentgrass to the warm-season Champion UltraDwarf Bermudagrass, which provides a denser putting surface, more consistent ball roll, and better surface uniformity. Five other Tennessee Golf Trail courses also have Champion Bermuda greens. “The quality of the greens surface has improved dramatically,” Kuhns says. “They’re at their best during our peak golfing season, from March to October.” However, Golf Course Manager Darrel Hartsfield adds, “We wanted to increase the amount of time that the greens are in good shape. We can play on these greens 12 months out of the year.” The conditions of the greens are vital to golf course operations at Montgomery Bell or any other course, notes Nixon. “If your greens are good, then people will come play,” he says. “If you have good putting surfaces, you will have customers.” Providing top-notch greens is the best way for properties with limited budgets to create optimum course conditions, he explains, and maintenance departments can build on greens
44 C&RB www.clubandresortbusiness.com FEBRUARY 2019
044_C&G0219v2JB.indd 44
1/30/19 7:49 AM