Letter from the director of golf Published July 30, 2010 By Steve Pavick 72nd Force Support Squadron TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Dear Tinker Golfers, I wanted to take this opportunity to apologize to you about the recent conditions of our golf course. We experienced a failure of the primary golf course irrigation system which directly affected the health of our greens. In addition, there was a failure to the secondary water supply (old irrigation system) which meant an outside water source was required via water trucks from the base Civil Engineers. In the interim, another water source was tapped and additional manpower was scheduled to hand-water the greens. Unfortunately, we were not successful in saving all the greens; most greens received 20 to 60 percent damage and one green, No. 15, is a complete loss. We worked diligently to find a replacement motor and/or system in the last few days. We were fortunate to find a motor for our irrigation system and had it installed on July 23. In addition, we requested, and base leadership approved, the purchase of a new $42,000 vertical pump system. This new pump system is less likely to fail and easier to access than the current submersed pump system. The Tinker Golf Course will re-seed all areas that are in need of replacement. In addition, we have lowered the green fees to reflect the conditions of play as we clearly do no deserve a full fee due to conditions. We will also be offering additional discounts and specials as a means of saying thank you for the continued support. I would like to give you my assurance that the Tinker golf staff and I will strive to bring back the conditions of the Tinker Golf Course better than what it was before this unfortunate event. I would also like to thank you for your understanding and tolerance of this situation. We are acutely aware you can choose to play any golf course in the area. I respectfully ask that you give us the opportunity to repair the conditions of the course and allow us to earn back your respect and support as one of Oklahoma's best golf courses to play. I very much appreciate your support in this matter. I also look forward to any comments, questions or concerns you may have. Please do not hesitate to contact me at steven.pavick@tinker.af.mil or 734-2909. Sincerely, Steve Pavick