“Knock golf club plans in doubt” plus 2 more |
- Knock golf club plans in doubt
- Jemsek Golf Design Completes Remodel of Windermere CC near Orlando
- 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI: Ignore at your low-mileage peril
| Knock golf club plans in doubt Posted: 17 Dec 2010 06:22 AM PST 17 December 2010 Last updated at 09:13 ET A plan to relocate Knock golf club in east Belfast to a new site in county Down has been turned down by Ards Borough Council. The club had wanted to move to a 185 acre site at Greengraves in Newtownards. Earlier this year planners granted approval to build around 250 houses on the present site of the Knock club, despite breaching planning guidelines. No one from the club was available for comment on Friday. The planning application involved reducing the current golf course to nine holes and building 300 houses, including some social housing. The club's new golf course would be constructed on a greenfield site at Greengraves. Serious concernsAn original application was turned down because it did not meet with planning guidelines. This was subsequently amended and won approval, despite an objection from a senior planning official. Ards Borough Council refused permission for a secondary application for the club to reopen at Greengraves during a meeting on Wednesday. Councillor Kieran McCarthy voted against the proposal. He said serious concerns about the impact on traffic and the environment were factors in his decision. "We have good agricultural land being interfered with and I'm very content to see that the proposal has not been given permission," he said. As far back as 2007, the development was supported by DUP MP Peter Robinson, who wrote to the then Environment Minister, Arlene Foster, asking if she could investigate the matter. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Jemsek Golf Design Completes Remodel of Windermere CC near Orlando Posted: 17 Dec 2010 11:56 AM PST Jemsek Golf Design has completed a six-month remodel of Windermere Country Club, an 18-hole, semiprivate golf club near Orlando, Fla. The Ward Northrup-designed course underwent its first major renovation since opening in 1986. Jemsek Golf Design was hired for the renovation project, which included upgrades to the greens, greenside bunkers and practice range tee. "I really enjoy working on classically design courses," said Joe Jemsek, principal, Jemsek Golf Design. "Windermere is a wonderful, mature layout which rewards shot-makers, but it is also a course that allows golfers of all abilities to enjoy. It was a pleasure working with the professional teams from Kemper Sports, SPE GO Holdings, Inc. and Country Club Services on the project." Since taking over the property, SPE GO Holdings has invested more than $1 million into the course. One of the biggest investments was the renovation of the greens. Under the direction of Jemsek, each putting surface was expanded, recontoured and planted with TifEagle bermuda. The greens are now about 20 percent larger, which allows for more pin locations and reduces wear and tear. TifEagle is a premium ultradwarf grass, known for its ability to provide consistent and fast green speeds. "Jemsek Golf Design did a wonderful job improving Windermere's greens complexes. The playability of the course has improved dramatically. With the investment we have made in the clubhouse and golf facilities, we feel that Windermere is now one of the best semi-private clubs in the Orlando market," said Steve Snellman, Vice-President, SPE GO Holdings, Inc. Country Club Services of Boca Raton, Fla., was the contractor for the renovation project and installed new subsurface drainage and reshaped the greenside bunkers. The new modern-looking bunkers were redesigned to enhance aesthetic appeal and playability. In addition to a new laser-leveled practice range tee, several new forward and back tees were added to increase the course's flexibility. "There has been a lot of positive feedback from the members about the renovation, especially the greens," added Jemsek. "That is great news, because Windermere is located in the heart of one of the biggest golf markets in the country and will get a lot of exposure in the next six months with tourist play and the three key golf industry shows coming to town." Jemsek has completed course design work at Summer Grove Golf Club in Newnan, Ga., the Resort at Village Creek in Wynne, Ark., and the Sunshine Course in Lemont, Ill. He is currently working on course renovations at Plum Tree National Golf Club in Harvard, Ill., and a new golf development in central China. Jemsek has been designing, renovating, and restoring golf courses around the world, both collaboratively with other designers and independently since 1996. For more information, call 773/687-9860 or visit www.jemsekgolfdesign.com. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI: Ignore at your low-mileage peril Posted: 18 Dec 2010 01:39 AM PST When the Golf arrived, I was disappointed that it had the dual-clutch automatic transmission (an extra $1,100). My fear was that the automatic wouldn't make good use of the low-end torque that makes diesels so much fun to drive. Wrong! The automatic was really tuned to the car, working smoothly through the gears while accelerating and being programmed to provide engine braking while decelerating. I'm not big on paddle shifting because I tend to forget it's in manual mode and over-rev the engine in first. However, this one shifted quickly and smoothly when used manually. The TDI is rated between 30 miles per gallon (city) and 42 (highway). I carelessly forgot to note the odometer reading with the tank full, but it made four 70-mile roundtrips to Boston from Newburyport, plus a half-dozen other decent-length trips on barely more than half of the 14.5-gallon tank. My Kentucky-windage guess is we got in the 38 mpg range, though the on-board computer was saying 43.2 mpg. VW officials point out that the TDI emits 25 percent less greenhouse gas and achieves more than 30 percent better fuel economy than comparable gasoline engines. Only a reassuring bit of clatter lets you know this is a diesel. The Golf or Rabbit, as it's been marketed several times in the US, is now in its sixth generation so it's clear that VW has had something going here for a quarter-century. Our test car had a base price of $21,990. Besides the automatic transmission, it had a touchscreen navigation system ($1,750), power sunroof ($1,000), Bluetooth connectivity ($199), and a $225 cold weather package (heated seats and washer nozzles). With a $750 destination charge, the bottom line was $27,014. If prospective buyers have doubts on reliability, VW is offering free scheduled maintenance services for three years or 36,000 miles, a five-year or 60,000-mile powertrain warranty, and three-year new vehicle warranty. In addition, my taxman, Tom Feenan of Feenan Financial in Quincy, reminds me that the automatic version of the Golf still qualifies for a $1,700 tax credit and the manual version qualifies for a $1,300 credit. On the road, the Golf handles tautly, thanks to four-wheel independent suspension. The steering, an electro-mechanical rack-and-pinion system, is ideal. It's quick through turns but easy to keep on a steady track on the highway. Both driver's and passenger's seats are manually adjustable. I found it easy to find a comfortable driving position with good legroom and visibility. Mrs. G, in the midst of a bout with the shingles while undergoing other daily hospital treatments, is wont to ride with her seatback in a reclining position. She wasn't pleased at having a difficult-to-turn wheel to achieve that spot. She did appreciate the sunroof during this warmer-than-normal spring weather. The instrument panel features a pair of circles (tach, speedometer) with temperature gauge in one and the hardly-moving fuel gauge in the other. In between is the multifunction computer display. I had it in Italian for a day before sitting down with the manual to get it set up properly and change the clock to daylight time. I've driven enough VWs to be familiar with their cruise control system, something I tend to use regularly. Neither the climate nor navigation controls are particularly user-friendly. In fact, I'd pass on the navigation system and opt for a portable unit. The standard iPod connection, which is tucked into the center armrest, is a welcome touch. VW has done a nice job with the styling, starting with the familiar two-bar grille, angled headlights, and neat oval fog lamps up front. The wide stance and black treatment around the windows helps carry a clean-but-not-slab-sided line right around the rear where an aggressive-looking double exhaust pipe says "goodbye." It looks like a car that will perform impressively ... and it doesn't disappoint. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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