David Sonnier finishes up on the 12th hole on the back nine at Clear Creek Golf Course as rain clouds form around him Tuesday.(Jon Giffin The Vicksburg Post)

[7/7/04]The deluge of rain that has pelted Warren County for more than a month has led to troublesome delays in the renovation of the Clear Creek Golf Course in Bovina.

Work on the public course began April 19, but storms have caused 36 rain days on which crews could not work, course superintendent Brice McLendon said.

“It’s been pretty bad,” he said.

Sprigging, or grass-growing, on the greens was expected in early June, but many of the holes do not have a seed bed and irrigation in place yet.

And with sprigging expected to take close to three months, time is running out before fall and winter seasons.

If construction on the $250,000 project is delayed more, temperatures below 70 degrees could jeopardize the proper growth of the grass, said Clear Creek pro Randy Tupper.

“We’re looking at 90 days to grow it in,” Tupper said. “Hopefully we can get it grown in sooner than that if the weather and everything just goes right once we do sprig.”

A contract-ending date of Oct. 1 may be met, he said.

Vicksburg and Warren County recorded a record 11.1 inches of rain in June, and showers and thunderstorms have continued almost daily during July.

But golfers are remaining hopeful that the work which includes moving and redesigning several holes will get done soon.

“I believe in quality, rather than just the ability to play,” golfer David Sonnier, 48, said as he played Tuesday. “It’s quite an easy course, so improving the difficulty is worth it. It’s worth the rain delay.”

The land was bought by the Warren County Board of Supervisors and the 18-hole course constructed in 1978. The complete removal of grass and soil from greens follows a diagnosis of “Bermuda grass decline,” a fungus that forms black lesions on the roots of grass and eats away at them.

While golfers like Sonnier have played the back nine, which remains open, regularly, many others have stayed away.

“A lot of people are going to other places to play,” McLendon said. “Any time you do renovation, you have to deal with those things.”

Because of an income shortfall stemming from the rains and closure of half the course, supervisors last week approved a $50,000 supplement for the Parks and Recreation Commission to operate through the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30.

Tupper would not say how much revenue the golf course has lost.

“Play has been down considerably more than we anticipated,” he said.

To boost revenue, Clear Creek has offered a discount for members signing up early for 2005. Returning members can pay $550 $50 less than in 2004 to renew their membership. If they wait until Jan. 1 to sign up, the price will increase to $650.

“We’re just letting them know that we are still open, and they can play at a discounted rate at this time,” Tupper said.

The continuous showers also affected play on the back nine. Rains have caused some standing puddles and have prevented maintenance crews from mowing grass regularly.

Golfers also were allowed out in their carts at times that would normally be prohibited, which created ruts in low-lying areas of the course.

“As far as mowing the grass, there’s been hardly a week that goes by when we can get it all done,” said McLendon, adding that the golf course’s drainage was not set up properly when it was created more than 30 years ago. “It’s been a nightmare.”

But the golfers understand that nothing can be done right now.

“It’s in no worse shape than any other course,” said Wilson Polk, who lives in Clinton. “Every course out here has had a torrential downpour.”

Polk and others continue to be patient while Mother Nature takes its course.

“I played here before the construction started, and it was desperate,” Sonnier said. “I know it’s an inconvenience, but I’m all for it. After it’s all done, it probably will mean a lot of good play for a lot of us.

“We’re willing to wait.”