This is about the Dawn Hill I've known and what I hope it can be and will be. It's written from the heart. I'll delve into a little history, most of it based on fact and some based on recollection. I am definitely an interested party and not just an observer since I've lived at Dawn Hill for 17 years and I've known about the community and golf course for well over 30 years. The front page story about Dawn Hill in the June 10 issue of the Herald-Leader was both interesting and factual -- up to a point.
Historical tidbit
Where to start with my tale about Dawn Hill? I guess a good place is the beginning, and for Dawn Hill that would be in 1967. Ralph Jones owned a farm north of town known as the Dye Ranch. He decided that his farm would be a good place to develop a golf course. So he set out to build one. When he was finished he was pretty proud of his handiwork and he opened the course for play, deciding that Dawn Hill was a name well suited for his new course.
The group who played the first round of golf at Dawn Hill included Mr. Jones, Moose Van Poucke (former long-time mayor of Siloam Springs), Wally Moon (yes, that Wally Moon, former big league baseball player and JBU coach way back then), Lloyd Cole (a savvy lawyer) and Quentin Reed. (Just a little trivia before getting down to business).
Changing owners
Dawn Hill has had several owners throughout the years. According to county records, Winthrop Rockefeller was an early investor with Mr. Jones and there have been at least six owners subsequent to Jones along with two or three lessees. In its heydays (from the late 1970s until early this century) it was the place to be. Good food and drink and challenging golf with good companions. Over the years Dawn Hill survived several name changes; one was Smith's Landing and another was Thunderbird at Dawn Hill, but for the most part it's been known as Dawn Hill.
Presently, it is a sad remnant of what it used to be. It wasn't always like it is. In the early 2000s there was still a lot of life left in Dawn Hill. Many successful tournaments were part of the venue, with the annual 4-Ball being the highlight of the year. In 2001 the 4-Ball drew 78 teams from all around this part of the county and Calcutta bidding topped $11,000, with more than 30 local and national businesses chipping in to sponsor the event.
Spring and Fall 3-man scrambles were big attractions drawing many players, and the annual Guys and Gals couples' tournament in September was a big deal. Each month the member's dinner was packed and the men's club Thursday night smokers always attracted 30 or 40 players. Outside groups like American Airlines from Tulsa, regulars from Dallas and Kansas City, and even a women's group from Miami, Okla., used to make annual visits. The club was a going Jesse back in the day and the Men's Golf Association boasted 125 members. Ladies day was Tuesday, with more than 40 women players. A noon golf group played daily and couples played a Sunday afternoon game.
Luther Alkhaseh bought the place in 2006 for $1.7 million and he claimed to have invested well over another million dollars fixing-up the clubhouse, planting new greens and making other improvements. Since Luther's arrival in 2006, it's been a slow, painful, downhill slide for Dawn Hill. To be sure it's not all his fault. There was a national recession in 2009-10, and it seems like since his involvement what could go wrong did go wrong. He sought advice from old-timers then promptly ignored it. He nearly doubled the dues to $220 per month and charged a $50 food and beverage minimum, and he did away with widow's discounts. Later, he reduced the dues -- but the club never fully recovered from these blunders, and so began the Dawn Hill death spiral.
Present and future
Inexplicably, the county records still show Luther Alkhaseh as owner, and when the property was redeemed from the Tax Sale last year it was redeemed in his name even though deeds have been issued by him to Tara Capital LLC. I have not spoken with Holly Wood who was quoted extensively in the June 10 issue, nor have I talked recently with John whom I met some time ago, so I don't know the reason why the records are garbled.
I wish the Woods well in their quest to breathe life back into Dawn Hill, but I must admit that I am a wee bit skeptical. They've owned Dawn Hill for more than a year and the golf course is in no better shape than it was when they bought it. I applaud the fact that they've cleaned out the drugs from the rental units, but little progress has been made on the golf course. It's going to take a lot of time, effort and resources, both financial and people, to get the old place up and running. I've seen no new mowing equipment and a lot of labor-intensive jobs remain to be undertaken -- weeding the bunkers, cutting down dead trees and trimming many others, cleaning out ditches, repairing the bridges and the on-course restrooms.
I know they are industrious and not afraid of hard work. I witnessed their attempt to re-plant the greens on the front side in late April, but at best, it was a futile effort. The re-planting consisted of one man with a rake, a shovel and a wheel barrow (sometimes with a helper), using a manual spreader and a roller. As of this moment (I'm writing this story several days ahead of the publication date of June 24) the greens cannot pass for a decent weed patch. What little grass that's sprouted has to fight with all manner of weeds and maple saplings to survive, and moles have penetrated several greens. I doubt that greens from this planting will ever mature and reach playable condition. I'm not an agronomist, but I've played a lot of golf, so I believe I know what I'm talking about.
I don't mean to lecture, but nongolfers just don't realize what it takes to maintain a golf course, especially the greens. Absent manicured greens, even the worst duffers and hackers will not be repeat players. I hope next time the greens are replanted they will use an experienced crew to do it right. I don't know anything about the owners' financial resources, but I do know that a shoe-string budget won't bring Dawn Hill back to life.
Homeowner dismay
Homeowners have been mowing adjoining fairways and most keep their own yards well manicured while property values at Dawn Hill have plummeted. Much of Northwest Arkansas has seen a revival in values, but this is not true for Dawn Hill. A check of county records (I checked five properties) shows that assessed values have dropped about 30 percent since 2008 and recent sales confirm that the Dawn Hill resale market remains depressed. Unfortunately, the golf course used to be an amenity, but it's now a millstone weighing down values. The collective loss in value suffered by homeowners is substantial (my guess is at least $3.6 million).
I know that my neighbors all hope for better days for Dawn Hill, but I doubt that it can ever return to its glory days. Too many members have died or moved away and a lot of nongolfers now reside here, and let's face it -- golf is a dying sport. Professional purses are skyrocketing, but participation by the average guy is waning. Nonetheless, I do want John and Holly to succeed and so do my neighbors. Oh boy, do we ever. But they must give us something to revive our hope -- a timeline and some real activity along with crews working every day, sun-up to sun-down sprucing-up the course.
When the city of Siloam Springs gave serious consideration to purchasing Dawn Hill in the spring of 2011 a research study concluded it would take four or five full-time employees and the same amount of seasonal employees to operate the course. So far, I haven't seen anything resembling that number of people and I've seen no new equipment. Holly's comments sounded like maybe a few high school kids along with her family can get the job done. I'd like to be a cockeyed optimist and say that I believe it could be done that way. Sadly, I don't believe it can be or will be. I hope against hope that she proves me wrong.
I opine, you decide.
-- Willie Williams is a Siloam Springs resident. He can be reached at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 06/24/2015