Arawana on the Air

Here is a link that takes you to my appearance on The Eye on the Air, discussing the Arawana Golf Course Project.

http://www.archive.org/details/EyeOnTheAirSeptember18

Magnificent Machrihanish Dunes

I should have posted this a while ago, but my life has been a bit hectic with the Arawana Golf Course project.

I played Machrihanish Dunes in late July as part of the grand opening that occurred the Tuesday after the Open Championship and I have to tell you, this course is worth the trip.

Architect David McLay Kidd and his chief associate, Paul Kimber, have created an outstanding links golf course, the first layout built on the West Coast of Scotland in over 100 years, with wild greens that nestle into the natural terrain. The course, on the southern tip of the Kintyre Peninsula on Scotland's far Southwest Coast, is within one of the country's most sensitive natural areas that is known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Because of that, there are no pesticides used on the golf course and artificial irrigation is only allowed for the greens. As a result, this is a golf course that is constantly changing as the natural grasses adapt to the lower heights of cut and the presence of golfers. It is, as the literature says, "the way golf began." The Old Tom Morris-designed Machrihanish Golf Club that was built over 100 years ago and is Mach Dune's next-door-neighbor, transformed over the years exactly as Machrihanish Dunes is doing and will continue to do.

As part of the Machrihanish Dunes, complex, there are the newly-built
cottages in which to stay, creating a perfect home base for journeys to
nearby courses such as Machrihanish, Dunaverty and the wonderful Machrie,
located on the Island of Islay, also home to the distilleries that produce
the lovely Islay single malt whiskies.

The drive from Glasgow or Edinburgh to Kintyre is a delightful trip, and there is also the option of direct flights from Glasgow to Cambeltown Airport.

Arawana: Economic Development Commission Meeting

I made my presentation before the Middletown Economic Development Commission Monday night and it was well-received. Also presenting their plans were the ArtFarm people and Blue-Blaze Trail people.

Here is a link to the story in the Middletown Press:

http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2009/09/14/news/doc4aaefdef53c02156340038.txt

Commission members had no questions for me after the presentation but I talked to a few one-on-one and they appear to like the plan. Commission chairman Gerry Daley, however, wants the Conservation Commission to review all the proposals and report back for the November meeting. The CC has no actual power, but acts in an advisory capacity.

One surprise of the evening came before the meeting began when the Blue-Blaze Trail people and I were in the conference room together. We had a good discussion and it looks like we may have found a way to route the proposed trail through the golf course land in a way that works for both our interests.

Another Arawana Update

Well, I'm getting closer to the first official step in making the Arawana Golf Course a reality when I appear before the Middletown Economic Development Commission on Sept. 14. I'm optimistic that my plan will be approved.

There is one new bump in the process. While meeting with the chief engineer of the Middletown Water and Sewer Department I learned an access road to the Kleen Energy power plant wells will run right through the fourth and sixth holes (click on the photo, red line indicates proposed road). I meet with people from Kleen Energy on the morning of the 14th in the office of the director of the city's planning and development department to see if we can do something about this problem.