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Arkansas Turfgrass – Julie Holt, Content Director, TheTurfZone.com

Golf Course of the Year:

Magellan Golf Course, Hot Springs Village

Magellan began as a 3-hole golf school for beginners to learn the game. Because of its popularity in the Village, in 1995, it was expanded to become a full 18-hole course.

“Magellan Golf Club plays a little shorter than other courses in Hot Springs Village, but its tricky greens prove troublesome,” says superintendent Donald Jones. “Magellan continues to be one of the best practice facilities in the community with a large driving range, putting green and several short game areas. The course is a favorite of our female golfers.”

Despite the irrigation system being original to the 1995 expansion and having older equipment, Jones says, “we still find a way to provide a consistent golf course with inconsistent equipment.” In a time of reduced staffing and budgets due to COVID, this is a testament to the team of professionals who work so hard to provide a great golf experience.

Field of the Year:

Rambler Baseball Field at Rose Bud

Taylor Cooper took on the head baseball coach position at Rose Bud High School in 2014. The field had only just been built and was far from what the coach hoped it would be. “Although it was a new field, many things were just not done correctly, nor with much detail or care,” Cooper says. “The grass was very bare, but what grass was there seemed to mostly be pasture grass and weeds. The infield playing area was not symmetrical nor had any type of conditioner for a smooth playing surface.”

In an effort to provide a better field for his team, Cooper discovered a true passion for field work and maintenance. Through the past seven years, he has continued to put in the hours of labor required to rehab the baseball field. Through acquiring a budget for field maintenance, and with support from AgraTurf, Cooper has turned his rural high school’s baseball stadium into a shining example of sports turf maintenance.