I am an avid golfer. I
’m concerned about what is happening in the local area that will
impact the availability of golf facilities.
EDITOR:
I am an avid golfer. I’m concerned about what is happening in the local area that will impact the availability of golf facilities. I feel that the mistakes in reporting facts, whether knowingly made or poorly researched, should be retracted if they have a significant impact on the issue. The constant reference to the old Hill Country golf course as being a 9-hole course and being changed to an 18-hole course is very misleading. I was playing golf, and was a member of the Hill Country men’s club on the 18-hole course, since the early 1980s. It never was a 9-hole golf course.
However, it was unique in that it was used as a landing field for airplanes, including the old Ford Trimotor airplane that was housed in the museum hanger on the property. I can remember many Sunday mornings having the men’s club stop tournament play, to let a plane land.
I was never privy to the agreement or permit made between the city of Morgan Hill and, at the time Fry’s golf course, now known as the “Institute”. I do however, have a feeling that there was misunderstanding by both parties to just what remodeling of the old 18-hole golf course would consist of.
I am a close neighbor of the golf course property, living just to the east of it. We have our main water supply well, located within 100 feet of the golf course. We have 36 homes at present dependent on this water system. Because of the number of people dependent on the system we must comply with the state Department of Health Services water testing requirements. This means we test our water monthly, yearly, and in some tests, depending on state requirements, for longer periods. I have been managing this system for moe than 20 years. In that time we have never had any problems with either the previous owners or the present owners of the property involving our wells being contaminated, or with lowered water levels.
I am well aware of contaminates in our aquifers. I was a member of the San Martin Planning Advisory Committee for over 15 years. I am at present a member, and vice chairman, of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, Uvas/Llagas Flood Control and Watershed Advisory Comittee. I am also a member, and vice chairman, of the South County Joint Planning Advisory Committee. So, “I got credentials.”
Perchlorate aside, our biggest aquifer contaminate problem in this area is nitrates in the water. The reason we have a five-acre minimum lot size in San Martin is because, no sewers.
No sewers mean septic systems. Septic systems are one of the biggest contributors of nitrates to the aquifers. Others are horses and other animals, farming and other crops including grass on your private lawns, and of course golf courses.
Farmers and golf courses are very carefully using fertilizers, just enough to grow their crops. The stuff is expensive. Homeowners can go down to any nursery, OSH, Home Depot, etc. and buy as much as they want, and spread it all over their lawn, vegetable and flower gardens, no questions asked. We are guilty, and it is not possible to pinpoint, or blame any specific cause. We do know however that it takes many many years for these contaminate to leach into our ground water.
The Institute has been a very good neighbor. I’ve had a chance to play the golf course. And it’s more than I can handle. Nobody can argue that it is not a very beautiful area, and an asset to the City of Morgan Hill. I also feel that without being specific, it is friendlier to animal and bird habitat than what it was under previous owners. The present owners have planted thousands of trees, and now are starting to plant flowers and other plants to beautify the property.
I wish that the owners of the property, and the City of Morgan Hill, would “Play Nice” and settle their differences and get on with the project. It would be in the interests of both parties.
Bill Konle,
San Martin
