Robert Trent Jones’ Ross Bridge golf course in Birmingham is not booking tee times due to a series of grounds-keeping errors.
The property’s maintenance crew spread what they believed was green sand on nearly every green on the course. The one-ton bag, however, turned out to be herbicide, WBRC 6 Fox reported.
The mistake effectively poisoned the greens, according to Sunbelt Golf Chairman John Cannon, whose company operates the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
“That is exactly what happened. Whether we can flush that poison out of the system and regrow the grass to accommodate this fall and next spring’s play, that is what we are trying to determine in the next few weeks,” Cannon told the outlet.
WBRC reported the grounds crew planned to dry-inject charcoal and a ceramic layer in an effort to extract the herbicide so the grass could grow.
“If that has no progress in the next couple of weeks, we are going to have to start thinking about what our long term options are,” Cannon said.
Sunbelt Golf is considering a move to speed up the transition for installing new greens.
Golfer Jesse Hernandez said he was saddened upon learning that the course was not currently booking tee times.
“Wow, what happened out here; something not good at all. So, it is really sad,” he told WBRC.
Cannon said those who had tee times booked should contact the course. Ross Bridge is one of the most popular courses in the Robert Trent Jones portfolio, generating millions in tax revenue for the state.
“Between us and our eight hotels, the Robert Trent Jones Resort Collection, of which, Ross Bridge is one of the crown jewels. There are hundreds of millions of dollars spent by tourists on the trail every year,” said Cannon.
Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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