Spessard Holland Watering Schedule
As we return to play at Spessard Holland, there is still some work to be done on the course. In order for this work to be completed, the irrigation system must be run during play. While we know this will be a bit of an inconvenience, it is a necessity for us to be able to return to play. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to improve Spessard Holland and get everyone back on the course!
When you see an orange flag, that is a sprinkler head that will come on starting with the times below. Each head will run for 8 minutes.
If the head is not on and has an orange flag it will come on as others go off.
10:05 am - 10:45 pm water runs, then off for 25 minutes.
11:10 am - 11:50 pm water runs, then off for 25 minutes.
12:15 pm -12:55 pm water runs, then off for 25 minutes.
1:20 pm - 2:00 pm water runs, then off for 25 minutes.
2:25 pm - 3:05 pm water runs, then off for 25 minutes.
3:30 pm - 4:10 pm water runs, then off for 25 minutes.
4:35 pm - 5:15 pm water runs, then off for 25 minutes.
5:40 pm - 6:20 pm water runs, then off for 25 minutes.
6:45 pm - 7:25 pm water runs, then off for 25 minutes.
Tee box: #18 if you play the green or white tees please park in front of the rope and walk over to the tee area, please drive to the right side of the sprigs in the rough to the green. You may retrieve your ball if you do hit in the sprigged area and drop either side.
Spessard Holland Re-Opens July 2nd
To All Golfers:
Good news from Spessard Holland! Regular tee times will start up on Tuesday, July 2nd. On July 4th, regular tee times will start at 7:00 am, no special events are scheduled. Everyone who wants to play and celebrate our Nation's birthday at the course can do so any time during the day.
A special "thank you" goes out to all of you, our patrons, for being patient with us during the renovation of Spessard Holland. I am very happy to report the greens are doing great and should putt pretty well for only being in for a short time. The first week of July is coming up fast so we are looking forward to you all returning and seeing all the improvements.
During the closure we were able to do a lot of extra work on the course. Tee boxes were leveled. Some of the tees were sodded and others were sprigged. The sprigging process takes a little longer than putting down sod, so some of the tees will be moved around until they are fully grown in. The 18th fairway has been raised anywhere from 6 inches to two feet to allow for proper drainage. The fairway will be closed until further notice so we will play 18 as a par three for a few weeks. Staff will let you know the areas to avoid. If your ball does stay in the fairway, you may walk out to retrieve it with no issues and drop on the left side of the fairway. Weather and the grass will determine when we can open it completely.
Expectations: The greens will roll well but not at the speed we would like for at least a few months. During the next few months, we will roll, top dress and verticut the greens. This will be a weekly occurrence until we get into August. At some point, more than likely, we will need to aerify the greens to help with continued growth and will allow us to get the greens to a nice playing speed going into the fall. After spelling this all out, I think everyone will be surprised how well they are rolling now. The 9th green was the first to be planted, it was sodded on May 21st. The last green was our big putting green which was planted on May 24th. So less than a month down, we are mowing at 200. The greens were plated at 250, which is a quarter of an inch. We are about 10 days ahead of my projected timeline. Our goal was to the have the greens planted on or right at June 1st so we were able to beat our goal.
Thank you to all the staff at Spessard Holland who pitched in to help get the additional projects finished. A special thanks to Jeff Brewster of Total Golf Construction from Vero Beach. They did a great job with all the construction work!
To our crew on the maintenance staff at Spessard Holland, thank you! Dan Loveridge for his extra hours at the course during the grow in and Jamie Baker for covering time when Dan needed a rest. Jamie and Dan are doing a great job! Jamie and the crew at the Habitat during the drought have done an over-the-top job keeping the course in incredible shape. The only problem they have is dealing with me every day, so hats off to both crews.
Finally, as we move into the next phase of the two golf courses, we will continue to improve and make more changes to enhance your golfing experience. When we started back in September of 2018, I wanted to make sure we had a vision and goals that we could implement. As of now, we have completed half of what I would like to do. All of this is not possible without all of you and your support. From, all the staff at both courses a "Big Thank you" to each and every one of you for playing and spending time with us.
Best Regards,
Mike Yurigan
Course Plans for 2024
Dear Habitat and Spessard Holland golfers:
As most of you know, Spessard Holland is closing May 1st, 2024, for renovations to the greens and some tee boxes. It is my goal that the course will re-open the weekend of July 4th. As of now, we are on schedule for that to happen.
You may be wondering what changes will be made at Spessard Holland during the closure. Concerning the greens, we will be installing new drainage, new soil, and laying down sod so we can meet our time frame. If we were to sprig the greens, the course could potentially be closed for 5 months. We decided that was not going to work for us, so sod was the best option for us to meet our deadline to re-open.
Greens have a life expectancy before they get contaminated with mutations that effect playability, with this renovation you can expect a much better playing surface and bring the golf course back to its original Arnold Palmer design. This will also include enlarging some areas to the original design including drainage. This renovation is long overdue and will be enjoyed for many years to come.
I was able to go to The Masters on Monday of this week and it is truly an incredible place to say the least. On the way back from Augusta Steve Lamontagne, who is now our Director of Instruction, and I stopped by Pike Creek Sod Farm just outside of Tifton, GA to look at the sod. It is hard for me to describe in words, but it looks absolutely incredible. When the sod is delivered it will be at ¼ inch height of cut. Right now you could putt on the grass with no issues. When they deliver and we lay the sod down it will be ready to play, but the process is roll, top dress, sand, water, and fertilize the heck out of it. So, the three to four weeks of grow in will allow the roots to dig into new dirt and give us an amazing putting surface.
Before we start the process, we are going to spray chemicals on the green to kill the top layer of grass to eliminate as much of the existing contamination as possible. All new green renovations do this, so not something new. The first application will start this Sunday April 14th, weather permitting, at 4:00 pm. Please do not go on to the greens as the chemical must dry for at least two hours. The spraying is safe to walk on after it is dry. We put a green dye in the water so we can see where the chemical is sprayed. Staff will be out to make sure no one walks on them. The greens will brown out and become very fast over the next three weeks. Approximately two weeks later we will do the same thing to ensure we don’t miss anything. I know it will be some inconvenience but if we want to have great greens over the next 20 years it is an absolute must. The greens the way they are now are only going to get worse.
Last thing to remind all of our golfers is that the weather has been extreme over the past 3 plus months. Rain in January and then dry, windy, and no rain to speak of. The wind is our biggest deterrent. This time of year the growing season is slow as cooler temperatures make it tough. The Habitat is limited to 33 million gallons of ground water to fill the lakes. The rest comes from rainwater that runs into the lakes and our max level of water pumped onto the course in one year is 74 million gallons total. Spessard Holland receives water for Melbourne Beach utilities, which is plenty of water but also very high in chlorine. I am asking everyone to please stay on the cart paths around the tees and greens and try to drive 90 degrees from the rough to the fairway when possible.
Next week I will also be doing a video to explain things but I am trying to get everyone that does not watch my riveting videos prepared for the renovations. Please call The Habitat Pro Shop for tee times for May and June or stop by and check out all the work we are doing at Spessard.
In closing, this is an important undertaking for the future of Spessard Holland. The staff and I want to thank each and every one of you for your continued support. The two courses can’t survive without you! If you have any questions or thoughts please stop by. I am always happy to talk.
The Habitat will close April 22-23-24 for aerification, we are doing this early because of the closure of Spessard Holland. The next aerification at Habitat will wait until mid-July.
Thanks again for your patience as we transform Spessard Holland for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Mike Yurigan
An Announcement from Golf Brevard
Golf Brevard General Manager & Director of Golf Mike Yurigan is back with an exciting announcement for the future of The Habitat and Spessard Holland! Click below to watch now!
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!
Did you know that Golf Brevard has a YouTube channel with new videos posted monthly? Well now you do! Click the photo below now to visit us on YouTube and hit subscribe to stay up to date on the latest happenings at The Habitat and Spessard Holland!
A Note from Mike Yurigan
Hello fellow golfers,
Just a few updates regarding The Habitat and Spessard Holland golf courses. In September and October we had 16 days with rain to end and start the month. October first was the only day we had to close the entire day, that day we had almost three inches. This was the first day all year I can remember we had to shut down both courses. Unfortunately we need rain again as we are going on almost three weeks without a drop.
Now that the weather has changed some, dry air and low humidity, the ground dries out quickly. Spessard Holland is extremely dry right now and we have a leak in the ¾ hydraulic line we can’t find so watering has been difficult. I am asking everyone who plays if you see a spot somewhere on the course that looks like a small bubble coming out of the ground to please let the golf shop know. The leak could be anywhere, we think it’s by the wet area on #17. The reason it’s so important is the system can run but the hydraulic pump can burn up.
At Spessard, this week we are going to overseed specific tee boxes and the middle of the 18th fairway. The rye grass will take about 10 days to germinate so please try and avoid those areas until we take the ropes down. During the grow in we will be watering to help keep the seed moist so we can get a good germination so the tees will look great. At Habitat we will also do a few tee boxes to help through the winter. Next summer Habitat will also do a few tee boxes that will be completely stripped, leveled and regrassed. Over the many years the tee boxes have been top dressed with greens grade sand and not enough organic material. The tees that struggle have a deep sand layer and nematodes that eat the roots and literally live inside the root, they are microscopic. They are a huge pain, so if we can add a better base we can help control the little pesky things, which means better turf.
Finally,
A few golfers have heard that Spessard will be closing for six months next summer. I just wanted to let everyone know that the greens renovation will start May 1st and finish up on or before July 1st, 2024, two months only. We will also be doing a few tee box renovations during this time. I know a lot of you don’t see the videos that we put out so I felt I needed to send this out for everyone. We have a lot planned to do at Spessard and I think you will be very pleased with the work.
Habitat during the Spessard renovations will do a double tee start May and June of 2024. This will allow us to have tee times starting on the front nine and back nine at 7:30 to 9:20. Then tee times will start back up at 11:40 to approximately 1:30. This will give us the ability to get 128 or so off in the morning and 128 in the afternoon wave. Many courses do this every day of the week to try and get more golfers on the course. The biggest thing is we need to play in the 2 hour window so the golfers who make the turn can have the tee open. After 3:00 pm the first tee will open depending on the amount of play. If you have any questions please stop by the pro shop at Habitat and the staff can explain. This will only be for the two months during shut down at Spessard.
Thank you for helping save The Habitat and Spessard Holland golf courses, your support over the past 5 years is greatly appreciated. We will continue to improve and do our very best to make your golf more enjoyable.
Thank you again for your support, and all the staff at both courses!
Sincerely.
Mike Yurigan
General Manager/Director of Golf
Golf Brevard Inc.
November Rates
Spessard Holland
Standard Rate
18 Holes Riding | Open - 11am | 43.75
18 Holes Riding | 11am - 1pm | 38.75
18 Holes Riding | 1pm - Close | 30.75
18 Holes Walking | Open - 11am | 38.75
18 Holes Walking | 11am - 1pm | 33.75
18 Holes Walking | 1pm - Close | 25.75
9 Holes Riding | Open - 11am | 33.75
9 Holes Riding | 11am - 2pm | 31.75
9 Holes Riding | 2pm - Close | 28.75
9 Holes Walking | Open - 11am | 28.75
9 Holes Walking | 11am - 2pm | 26.75
9 Holes Walking | 2pm - Close | 24.75
Loyalty Rate
18 Holes Riding | Open - 11am | 36.75
18 Holes Riding | 11am - 1pm | 30.75
18 Holes Riding | 1pm - Close | 25.75
18 Holes Walking | Open - 11am | 31.75
18 Holes Walking | 11am - 1pm | 26.75
18 Holes Walking | 1pm - Close | 21.75
9 Holes Riding | Open - 11am | 27.75
9 Holes Riding | 11am - 2pm | 25.75
9 Holes Riding | 2pm - Close | 23.75
9 Holes Walking | Open - 11am | 23.75
9 Holes Walking | 11am - 2pm | 21.75
9 Holes Walking | 2pm - Close | 21.75
The Habitat
Standard Rate
18 Holes Riding | Open - 11am | 45.75
18 Holes Riding | 11am - 1pm | 40.75
18 Holes Riding | 1pm - Close | 32.75
18 Holes Walking | Open - 11am | 40.75
18 Holes Walking | 11am - 1pm | 35.75
18 Holes Walking | 1pm - Close | 27.75
9 Holes Riding | 2pm - Close | 30.75
9 Holes Walking | 2pm - Close | 24.75
Loyalty Rate
18 Holes Riding | Open - 11am | 38.75
18 Holes Riding | 11am - 1pm | 32.75
18 Holes Riding | 1pm - Close | 27.75
18 Holes Walking | Open - 11am | 33.75
18 Holes Walking | 11am - 1pm | 28.75
18 Holes Walking | 1pm - Close | 23.75
9 Holes Riding | 2pm - Close | 23.75
9 Holes Walking | 2pm - Close | 23.75
Summer Rates
Summer is here at Golf Brevard and with higher temperatures comes the sweet relief of lower prices for the same great golf. View our Summer Rates for Spessard Holland and The Habitat below and click the images to book your next round now!
A Note from Mike Yurigan
Dear Golfers, the Habitat will be closed for Aerification on May 15th, 16th and 17th. On Monday and Tuesday we will aerify the greens, tee boxes, and fairways. In addition we will be vertictutting the fairways and tee boxes. On Tuesday the irrigation company is returning to finish up a few odds and ends and on Wednesday after the dew is dry we will do a Chipco Choice application for mole crickets.
During the week prior our new pump station will be installed and the wet well and intake pipe will be sleeved. At the end of all this it is my hope that we can move forward and do other projects to help the course to become even more beautiful, though I believe it is currently looking and playing fantastic.
We are going to be very aggressive with the tee boxes, so you might find over the summer your favorite tee box closed for a few weeks for improvements. The clubhouse is being painted as I write this note to all of you at The Habitat. Hope you like the color!
Spessard Holland will be closed on May 30th and 31st for similar Aerification procedures. The golf course bathrooms at both courses are being completely overhauled with new fixtures and paint. The shelters at The Habitat are also on our refurbishment schedule and we hope to have them completed by the end of the summer.
Most of you have asked me why we have focused so much of our efforts on The Habitat. The simple answer is the infrastructure of the course was in a much worse state than that of Spessard Holland. The other major obstacle is The Habitat is double in size by acreage and, though we have been able to hire some great new faces, staffing continues to be an issue.
With all that said I would like to say a big thank you to the entire staff and maintenance crew at The Habitat led by Jamie Baker who has gone above and beyond the norm. I am greatly appreciative of their efforts. Dan Loveridge and his crew has done a wonderful job with all the issues that the ocean breeze and salt intrusion brings at Spessard Holland! We will be focusing our efforts on Spessard Holland this summer and are hoping to move forward towards our new greens in the Summer of 2024. I will keep you posted on the progress there!
The Aerification rates will be honored for the 7 days after we aerify. That is $19.91 at The Habitat and $19.77 at Spessard Holland for 9 holes or 18 holes. If you have any questions please call the Pro Shops for details. Our Summer Rates will begin on May 1st and continue through May, June, July, and August.
Finally, a huge THANK YOU to each and every one of you that plays at The Habitat and Spessard Holland. It is my wish that when you come out to play, hit range balls, take a golf lesson, or just to have a hot dog and a Coke, that you enjoy your time with family and friends. Know that we value your choice to spend your time at The Habitat and Spessard Holland.
I will continue to provide updates with a few more videos on when our next projects will commence at both courses. For me personally, coming up on 5 years with Golf Brevard and reflecting on the task that was in front of us back in the summer of 2018, it has been worth every minute. To the golfers who play, the staff and all the Board members who have helped support the nonprofit, thank you a million times over!
Callaway Demo Day
Don't forget! Our Demo Day with Callaway Golf is April 4th from 10:00am - 3:00pm! Come out and try the full lineup of the Paradym family, Jaws Wedges, and maybe even pick up an Odyssey putter while you're at it!
New Tee Sheet & Members Portal
On Wednesday February 1st, Golf Brevard will launch a new online Tee Sheet system. While there will be little change to how you book your Tee Times at Spessard Holland and The Habitat, there are a few features and policy updates we would like to make you aware of.
Members Portal & Exclusive Tee Sheet
Members will now be able to book according to their membership level. By creating an online profile we will now be able to guarantee that you receive the priority Tee Times included with your membership.
Gold Members | 14 Days in Advance
Annual Members | 14 Days in Advance
Loyalty Members | 10 Days in Advance
Non-Members | 7 Days in Advance
This will also give you access to our brand new online members portal where you can stay up to date on everything happening at Spessard Holland and The Habitat.
To gain access to these members only features, simply fill out the form linked below to request access.
*Please note that these features are only available to golfers with active memberships.
Non-Member Tee Times
At the heart of Golf Brevard is a commitment to public golf and the preservation of public golf along the Space Coast. Because of the overwhelming support from you and the thousands of golfers that play Spessard Holland and The Habitat every year, we have been able to make tremendous strides in improving the playing conditions at both courses. To best ensure that all golfers who wish to play have the most enjoyable day possible there are a few changes we must make to how tee times are booked.
Non-Member Tee Times are Available on a first come, first serve basis 7 days in advance.
Those wishing to book further in advance can access Tee Times 10 days in advance by becoming a Loyalty Member.
Tee Times booked online must be paid in full at the time of booking.
All taxes are included in the price listed at time of booking.
Tee Times are only available to groups of at least 3 golfers.
Groups with less than 3 golfers may contact the Pro Shop for information on potential availability.
Tee Times may be cancelled up to 24 hours in advance.
Full refunds are available to golfers who cancel up to 24 hours in advance of their Tee Time. Golfers who cancel after the 24 hour window may contact the Pro Shop to cancel their Tee Time.
*If you already have a Tee Time booked, your current Tee Time will not be changed.
New Toro Irrigation Coming to The Habitat.
We are thrilled to announce the next major project coming to The Habitat Golf Course. Click the video below to hear all the details of our forthcoming project.