Dave Carpenter

Weekly Vista News Editor

Conventional wisdom dictates humans are reluctant to change. If that's the case in Bella Vista, there will be plenty of angst to go around on village links before spring.

Sweeping changes for golf fees, the addition of a new value card and cart seat leasing programs, elimination of wave and shotgun starts for many groups, and an announcement the village will be rolling out a junior golf association were all part of the Jan. 12 meeting of the Bella Vista Golf Committee.

Lower golf fees for members who purchase value cards was a big issue during the 2005 budget process for the Property Owners Association Board of Directors last month. The measure passed, but won't become effective until March 1, so the golf division can make the necessary administrative changes to handle it.

Yet, the new program, designed to reward avid players and to hopefully reverse the downward trend of golf rounds being played, may cause some confusion as the implementation date draws near.

All golfers who intend to purchase a value card for the March 1 start date must also purchase a new photo ID, regardless of the expiration date of their current cards. A pro-rated credit for the $50 fee paid for the existing card will be applied to the purchase of the new photo ID and value card.

But that's not all.

To be eligible to purchase a value card, members must also either register a privately owned golf cart or purchase a seat lease from the golf division. The seat lease is also new for 2005, while the old cart leasing program is eliminated.

Members whose current cart lease, or private cart registration, does not renew conveniently on March 1, will be given a pro-rated credit when they enter into a new lease or re-register theirs with a March 1 anniversary to coincide with the anniversary of the value/photo ID card.

Purchases of the new value/photo ID cards begins Feb. 1, and they are only available at the POA General Office in Town Center.

Golf director Mike Shea showed committee members a letter he is sending to leaders of golf groups with permanent tee-time arrangements. The letter will inform leaders that wave and shotgun starts are being eliminated for most groups. The change is to make the golf experience more enjoyable for players and more easily managed by Shea's staff.

This change will affect many. On Mondays alone, there are more than 200 groups with 787 standing times, accounting for nearly one-third of all tee times available.

Shea also announced that he is gearing up for the first Bella Vista Junior Golf Association. Although plans are not finalized, Shea said he will be targeting youths ages 10-18 for membership.

He said juniors will be given a series of group lessons at the start and then will play the Brittany Golf Course, a nine-hole executive layout, until skill levels warrant being given the green light to play the more challenging courses. Shea also wants to charge BVJGA members reduced greens fees to encourage play.

Committee members also discussed sponsoring a grand reopening event for the Country Club Golf Course, which was closed for an extreme makeover for much of 2004. No official plans were made, but a three-person subcommittee was formed to plan the event in March. The scheduled reopening date for the Country Club Course is March 21.

No year-end financial report was available for the meeting, but chairman Bill Johnson reported the final tally for rounds played in 2004 was 197,662, down from 314,756 in 2003, 338,272 in 2002 and 348,719 in 2001.

The next meeting of the golf committee is Feb. 9 at 8:30 a.m. in Riordan Hall.

More information about 2005 golf fee changes and the value card program is available on the POA's Web site, www.bellavistapoa.com, by sending an e-mail to golf@bellavistapoa.com, or by calling the golf division office at 855-8172.