EVANSVILLE, Ind. − Paraphrasing Deputy Evansville Mayor Steve Schaefer, It’s been a roller coaster ride up and down the hills at Helfrich Golf Course the past few years.
First came COVID-19 and the ensuing absence of players on the course. When the virus waned, attendance at Helfrich Hills skyrocketed because everyone wanted to be outside.
“We had that success and then the lows – heat and supply chain issues,” Schaefer said. “The irrigation was not functioning. We were borrowing water trucks. The irrigation system is the lifeblood of a course.”
Damage to several greens and bunkers at Helfrich Hills led to the course’s inability to host the first round of the Evansville Men’s City Tournament. As a result, the first and second rounds were played at Fendrich. Many areas around the greens at Helfrich, including the putting surface, were brown or had rough patches.
Because of the subpar conditions, playing fees were reduced to $5 for nine holes and $10 for 18; Fees are usually $12 for nine holes and $24 for 18. They were reduced on Sept. 3 because of poor green conditions, said Helfrich Club Pro Dave McAtee. The course was shut down for five days as all 18 greens and the practice of putting greens were reseeded.
“We then reopened on temporary greens for the fall,” McAtee said. “We’re hoping to get back on greens sometime later this fall depending on growth and good weather conditions.”
Officials hope the course will be fully revitalized in time for its 100th anniversary in 2023.
A multitude of issues at Helfrich Golf Course
All the holes were scarred because of irrigation problems and the summer heat wave.
“It was just drought and stress,” said Helfrich Hill superintendent Cameron Baker. “It turns pink and purple and after that it doesn’t get water.”
Baker said the irrigation system was winterized, but a backflow preventer filled with water.
“Everything was blown out with air pressure,” he said. “Either it was a bad valve or something filled it back up.”
Supply chain issues caused a delay in getting the proper parts. Temperatures climbed to 89 in May and rain was virtually non-existent. A hydraulic pump, estimated at 27 years old, stopped working.
“It was one thing after another,” Schaefer said. “It was basically months where zero irrigation was able to be used.”
McAtee knew the first round of the City Tournament had to be moved from Helfrich to Fendrich to ensure the best playing surface. He noted that Helfrich Hills did host a small qualifier for the City Tourney two weeks prior, but the course wasn’t in good enough shape to withstand 150 golfers playing the first round.
Golfers didn’t want to play on “distressed turf,” but McAtee indicated they wanted to stay supportive.
Baker said the grass will grow quicker the longer the weather stays relatively warm this fall.
“It’s coming along quite nicely,” he said.
Every time first-year Helfrich Hills Men’s Club President Craig Niemeier with Baker and McAtee, they were transparent and had a plan in place to help fix the underlying cause and help make the course as playable as possible in the meantime.
“I know Cameron and Dave both had a really tough situation that fell in their lap this summer and I feel that both worked hard at resolving the issue and I have a lot of trust in both of them to help take care of the golf course and its players,” Niemeier said.
He said he has not received a request from any of Helfrich Men’s Club’s 200 members looking to get their membership dues back because of the problems with the course this year.
“I have also not heard from other board members that any members are looking for a refund,” he said. “Even with the conditions of the course in the latter part of the season, we have been able to host nine events this year (many of them while the greens were still in good shape) along with our three leagues and weekly tournaments for a significant one portion of the season.”
Helfrich’s flagship event, the Club Championship, still had about 80 players, which isn’t far off from previous years, Niemeier said.
“I think the membership obviously would have preferred if conditions of the greens were better, but the group has been resilient this year and are just excited about an opportunity to play on better putting surfaces next year than we have seen in a long time,” he said.
As Helfrich Hills seeks to reinvigorate itself, a five-year parks master plan is in the works. Part of the process is obtaining feedback from stakeholders regarding all facilities, including golf courses, Schaefer said.
“We are meeting with stakeholder groups, holding public open house meetings and taking comments online at http://www.evansvilleparksplan.com,” Schaefer said. “It is our collective hope to take the feedback from the public and make investments that will improve our parks. Mayor Winnecke is especially interested in Helfrich Golf Course due to the recent problems with the greens this year and the impact of play. Whether those improvements are structural or aesthetic, we all recognize the historical importance of Helfrich Golf Course and will invest accordingly.”
Helfrich steeped in history
Tom Bendelow was the architect of Helfrich Field Club built in 1923. He was affectionately known as the “Johnny Appleseed” of American golf architects as he plotted out golf courses throughout the country, including the famed Medinah No. 2 in Chicago.
Bob Hamilton, who won the PGA Championship in 1944 and was a member of the US Ryder Cup team in 1949, is the most famous golfer to come out of Helfrich. His name and year along with “Helfrich Field Club” is engraved on the Wanamaker Trophy given to the PGA champion every year because the tradition in those days was to put the club professional’s home club that he worked at on the trophy. He was the golf professional at Helfrich from 1937-1945.
The Bob Hamilton Dedication Day at Helfrich was on Aug. 8, with local golfers in attendance including the Hamilton family, Helfrich Men’s Club members, local golf enthusiasts, area golf professionals. A plaque honoring Hamilton was unveiled at the first tee.
For his part, McAtee grew up playing golf at Helfrich.
“It has a unique layout, a lot of hilly terrain,” said McAtee, who served as a “walking referee” at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and was a rules official at the 2012 Masters.
Interestingly, Helfrich was originally in the country, before the city grew to meet it and surpass it.
“It was at the end of an electrical car line,” McAtee said. “The city has engulfed it now.”
When some road work was recently done on Mesker Park Drive, construction workers dug up rail lines and ties. In fact, a worker gave McAtee one of the old railroad ties.
Years ago, McAtee said even a lot of Evansville Country Club members would play at Helfrich, where the best golfers in town were gathered.
Helfrich is regarded as a challenging course.
“Hitting shots off lies that aren’t flat makes the game more difficult,” McAtee said. “Some players embrace that challenge more than others.”
Niemeier said a lot of Men’s Club members and Helfrich golfers in general, himself included, are excited about the 2023 season and brimming with optimism about the prospect of healthy greens.
“Like most golfers who grew up on the West Side of Evansville, Helfrich is a special place to me,” Niemeier said. “It means a lot to have a fun, challenging and historically rich municipal golf course in the neighborhood and I’ve met so many great people there through the years. The fact that next year is the 100th anniversary of the course is exciting and really speaks to how important the golf course is for the Evansville community.”
