Slack Designing Latest Local Course

Jerry Slack, president and owner of Slack & Associates in Tulsa, calls golf communities the world’s greatest three-dimensional puzzles. Slack’s ability to “solve” them made him Charles Reaves’ first choice to design Shadow Valley’s championship course.

Slack, a golf course architect and liscensed land development planner, has built 65 courses in 20 states and Costa Rica. He’s designing the new Big Sugar course in Pea Ridge, and previously worked on Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers and the back nine holes at Fayetteville Country Club.

“I talked to a lot of people in the golf industry, and his name kept coming up,” said Reaves, Shadow Valley’s developer.

A dozen Slack & Associates workers began moving dirt at Shadow Valley in January. They’re building a system of three lakes that will serve as an amenity, irrigation source and stormwater reservoir to prevent destructive runoff.

Slack said he intends to take advantage of Shadow Valley’s dramatic topography and beauty in his design. Splashing water from natural springs and waterfalls will be a major theme, as will tilted fairway lies and natural stone landscaping.

The course will be 7,200 to 7,300 yards in length and have five sets of tees. It will feature zoysia fairways and bent grass greens, probably the SR 10/20 variety like Slack used at the Russellville Country Club.

One special touch will be bent grass “tongues” that Slack said he will “transition” out into fairways from greens. They’ll allow better “bump and run” shots.

“Routing a golf course is like routing a railroad,” Slack said. “Traditionally they always run where the cheapest and easiest grades are to build. You just work with the natural flow of the land and make it into a commodity.”

With 15 courses already in Benton County and four more on the way, it’s not a stretch to wonder if the local golf market is already overbuilt. Washington County has eight.

“The question is when does the Arkansas golf market become over saturated,” said Jay Fox, executive director of the Arkansas State Golf Association in Little Rock.

“I don’t know the answer to that question. Golf is in demand, and Northwest Arkansas has been one of the country’s fastest growing areas. I’m sure (Reaves) wouldn’t be investing this kind of money if he hadn’t done his homework.”

The ASGA has 180 member clubs throughout the state. Slack said less than 10 percent of the population in small states like Arkansas are golfers, but Tiger Woods’ popularity is sparking new interest with young people.

“There’s more than 150 courses each in Palm Springs and Phoenix,” Slack said. “Family-oriented courses like this one Charles is building will continue to draw because of the renewed interest and the fact the game still teaches character and discipline.”