Tailgaters rejoice; golf course OK
Posted on Friday, September 5, 2008
Parking around War Memorial Stadium for fans attending the University of Arkansas football game Saturday will be close to business as usual despite four days of heavy rains that soaked the golf course used to park most vehicles.
Some low-lying areas of War Memorial Golf Course will be roped off and unavailable for parking, but course manager Bob Baker estimated that amounted to be less than 10 percent of the fairways available for parking.
The Razorbacks will play the Warhawks of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Kickoff is 6 p.m.
On Thursday, the 18-hole course appeared a verdant green after almost steady rains since Monday night. Because of the weather, groundskeepers hadn’t had time to cut the greens and so they might have played a little slow, Baker said. Work on clearing a dozen trees felled by the week’s wind and rain kept only nine holes available for morning rounds. But all 18 holes were available for play later in the day.
The rains had barely stopped when Chet Obremski and John Buckner, both of Maumelle, began play Thursday afternoon.
“It’s probably a little wet, but for $ 7 [a round ], it’s great,” Obremski said before teeing off on the first hole.
Buckner expressed surprise, however, that cars would be parking on the fairways beginning Saturday.
“I hope they’ve got enough tow trucks,” he quipped.
Baker acknowledged that the course was still soaked Thursday. “It’s very wet right now,” he said. “It will still be wet Saturday. But we are getting a break that the rain has come and gone.” Today’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies with a high of 82 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
“There will be a good amount of drying out,” Baker said.
Charlie Staggs, the War Memorial Stadium manager, has been working at the stadium for 22 years.
“We have never not parked on the golf course,” he said. Saturday “is just going to be normal.” Gary Smith, chairman of the stadium commission, agreed.
“With a little breeze and sunshine [today ], it will probably be better circumstances than” Thursday, Smith said.
The game is a sellout, and most of the spots set aside for tailgating have been reserved, Staggs said. “We’ve got a few spots left, not many.” The format and prices for parking and tailgating remain the same as last year.
Recreational vehicles can park for $ 60 a game, $ 80 if the RV tows a car. About two dozen RVs were parked outside the stadium Thursday.
“We’ve been here since Monday, and we weren’t the first ones here,” Frank Scalia, a Pulaski County resident, said outside his RV on Thursday afternoon. “There were three before us.” Tailgating and reserved parking spots cost $ 20.
The War Memorial Stadium Commission will pay for any damage to the course, Staggs said.
The course will be closed to golfers today and Saturday. It will reopen Sunday afternoon.
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