Practice, practice, practice
New golf area addresses longtime need
STORY AND PHOTOS
BY STEPHEN VRATTOS
The Tuesday after Labor
Day weekend North Shore
Towers residents may have
noticed the start of activity by the
16th Tee of the golf course, which
skirts the downhill left turn as drivers
leave the general parking area
to access the underground garages.
Earth movers, back hoes and dump
trucks descended upon the unused
green sward, which stretches more
than a hundred yards along the
course, in order to transform it
into a practice area, where players
can hone their pitching, chipping,
putting and sand-trap skills.
“It’ll give everyone a place to
practice,” explained Men’s Golf
Association President Stan Yoel.
According to Yoel, it’s an amendment
long overdue. However, the
sudden flurry of activity, which
seemingly erupted the moment the
season ended, had less to do with
the release of pent-up yearning for
a practice field and more to do with
Mother Nature. In order to ensure
the healthy growth of the grasses to
be planted, they need as much time
as possible to take root before the
first frost of winter settles in.
As of the Thursday following
the job’s start—three days in—the
existing turf had been razed, and
much of the irrigation piping had
been placed in deep channels strategically
dug under where the new
course will be engineered; all this
in the intense temps and torrential
rains, which have plagued New
York City in the last few weeks of
August into September. Without
proper irrigation, not even the new
sand-trap being installed to finetune
player adeptness at escaping
the ornery granular predicament—
which can befall the most seasoned
vets of the game—will remain in
optimal training condition, never
mind the myriad grass species being
implanted.
Inadequate solar coverage was
another challenge. The new practice
area is located on the north
side of the grounds, which sits in
shadow the early hours of the day,
receiving less sunlight than other
sections of the course. Fortunately,
North Shore Towers has Director
of Grounds Eric O’Neill at their
disposal.
O’Neill has a Bachelor’s Degree
in Turf Management, which he
received in 1996 from the University
of Arizona. He’s been overseeing
the landscaping of The Towers Golf
Course since he arrived in 2003,
but has worked at other facilities
since his last year in high school,
working his way up from intern to
Assistant Superintendent at such
prestigious places as Potowomut
Golf Club in East Greenwich, RI;
Middle Bay Country Club on the
south shore of Long Island; and
Scarsdale Golf Club in Westchester.
O’Neill has the expertise to select
the various grasses needed fulfill
the requirements of the practice
course, while also thrive and
remain healthy in this low-level
sun environment… with the proper
care, of course.
“It takes a long time for these
particular grasses to grow in,” Yoel
said. “I don’t think the new practice
area will be ready until summer.”
“This is something, the course
has needed for quite some time.
Most every club has one and it will
help attract more outside membership
to the club.”
Digging channels for irrigation piping
Filling channels with crushed rock New practice sand traps are in place
52 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ October 2018