By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO–The Montevallo Golf Course will soon be getting two mowers to help with the maintenance of the course after the Montevallo City Council members approved the purchase of two mowers at the July 27 City Council Meeting.

In recent weeks, the issue with the golf course has caused some turmoil between Montevallo residents who defend the importance of the course and the Montevallo City Council when an agenda item arose stating the possibility of transitioning the course lease in October of 2016 back to the University of Montevallo.

PGA Golf Professional Ed Davis has attended the last several council meetings and recently said the meetings with the council and Mayor Hollie Cost had been positive.

On Friday, Aug. 7, Davis said bids for a new golf cart fleet are supposed to go out which will also help the course tremendously, in addition to the new mowers. “We’re looking at getting 34 new carts so that’s going to help out tremendously,” said Davis. “We’ve had a couple of good meetings between the mayor and the golf course and everything, so I think both parties are on the right track with each other and we’re happy.”

The two mowers approved on July 27 will cost the city a combined $22,883.75 that will come from unallocated funds from the city’s capital reserve.

The two mowers purchased will be a greens mower and a 72-inch zero turn mower for the golf course that is currently down to just one functioning zero turn mower.

“We had two mowers and one died,” said Clay Arnall, who is in charge of maintenance for the course. “Right now I have one zero turn mower and the bush hog to cut the rough with but I can’t cut the rough with the bush hog yet because it’s not done cutting some of the fairways. It’s putting a real strain on getting the grass cut having one zero turn mower. We pretty much have to have zero turn mowers because of all the hills.”

Davis said the city and golf course officials are scheduled to continue meeting to discuss the future of the course.