Ethan Godderz couldn’t help but note the irony.
A new irrigation system installed at the Allen County Country Club Golf Course, has roughly doubled the course’s water capacity.
He just hasn’t had to use it much because of the rainy spring.
“Every time I want to get out there, it rains again,” noted Godderz, the country club’s new golf course superintendent.
But Mother Nature has done little to dampen the enthusiasm for Godderz and the legions of volunteers who give the nine-hole course its biggest upgrade in recent memory.
Saturday’s celebration will include a golf tournament for members and their families, weather permitting, as well as a ribbon-cutting hosted by the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce.
Jim Chandlee, president of the country club’s board of directors, spoke about the upgrades.
Crews added two new waterways, and doubled the size of an existing pond, moved roughly 14,000 cubic yards of dirt, installed 12,5000 feet of water lines to irrigate the nine-hole course’s fairways, added another 50,000 feet of electrical wiring to get the system operational, and worked nearly a combined 12,000 man hours over the winter and spring to bring the golf course back to life.
Keeping the workers fed required another 1,186 meals, usually prepared by clubhouse staffers.
And aside from hiring a bulldozer operator to help shape the contours of the large pond, the rest of the earth-moving equipment was brought in by area farmers.
“A lot of people have put in a lot of hours into this,” Chandlee said. “It’s been amazing, really.”
Oh, and nearly all of the workers who toiled through the cold winter months were there on a volunteer basis.
“We’re pleased as punch right now,” Chandlee said. “The future is exciting for us. This bodes well for the golf course’s longevity.”
OVERSEEING the transformation is the 20-year-old Godderz, an avid golfer who toiled on the golf course each summer when he was a student at Crest High School.
“That’s where I got to know Becky,” he said.
Becky Carlson, clubhouse manager, knew the outgoing superintendent, L.C. Lacy, was looking to retire at the end of 2024, and thought Godderz would be a suitable replacement.
