With quality of life initiatives paramount, Clear Creek golf courses have made a few changes, including landscaping and reducing nine holes to create a better golfing experience.
Avid golfers Thurman Booth, Donnie Mathes, Dean Christensen and John Druce have seen positive changes since the nine holes were closed.
“It has allowed (the staff) to focus more on what golfers want – fairways, greens, tee boxes, bunkers,” said Booth. “We’d rather see a nice green, a flat tee box that isn’t covered with divots and such. I think it was a big improvement. “
He added, “They have maintenance staff here, mowers, … who play golf so they definitely know what to look for and what to do and fix”, making Clear Creek’s courses one of the best facilities in the world power area.
All four men also commented on the newly added cover over the outdoor seating in the clubhouse, which makes it possible to sit outside during this hot Texan summer.
“At the end of our round today we said, ‘Why don’t we play golf here anymore?'” Said Mathes.
“Closing nine holes gave us the opportunity to focus more on the remaining 18 holes with the staff we have,” said Chris Osborne, Clear Creek Course Manager.
Osborne plans to add more programs and clinics in the future to keep an eye on quality of life.
The severe frost in February took a drastic toll on Clear Creek’s prices. “Since then, we’ve had the United States Golf Association agronomists come over to take a look at our golf course and give us some guidelines on how to improve the quality of the turf,” said Osborne. “You will come back out and see how we get on.”
Osborne understands the importance of Clear Creek’s courses to the Fort Hood community and hopes they can be fun for future generations.
“This is a great place to enjoy the outdoors with your friends. It is a game that can be enjoyed by anyone for a lifetime. You can play three generations in the same group. We have a great facility here. We look forward to the soldiers, DoD (Department of Defense) cardholders and community using our course as we continue to improve. “
For those interested in vacancies with the Courses of Clear Creek, visit www.usajobs.gov to see what is available.