Lake Quivira Mothers Raise $ 130,000 for 6-hole“ q Links” Course
It is often said that if you want to get something done, particularly for kids, ask a mother. And so, it is with Lake Quivira Country Club, which now boasts a new six-hole Wee Links course dubbed“ q Links, A New Destination for Beginner Golfers.” Led by the trio of mothers— Megan Neville, Summer Hawkey, and Stephanie Parenza— the Lake Quivira Mothers Club in cooperation with The Lake Quivira Foundation and the Lake Quivira community, raised a whopping $ 130,000 to make the q Links course a reality.
( From left to right) Megan Neville, Summer Hawkey, and Stephanie Parenza, of the Lake Quivira Mothers Club cut the ribbon on April 12 at the“ q Links” grand opening celebration.
Adjacent to Lake Quivira’ s 18-hole championship course, q Links was built into a two-acre hillside once occupied by a driving range. Measured at 187 yards in length, the shortest hole is just 20 yards, and the longest is 45 yards. Regular golf balls can be used, but the club also makes available limited-flight balls that carry only about 70 percent of a regulation golf ball.
While built primarily for Lake Quivira’ s active junior program, it’ s open to all the residents of the 397 homes surrounding the 224- acre lake centered in the Lake Quivira community located on Holiday Drive about two miles east of I-435 immediately south of the Kansas River.
About 95 percent of the $ 130,000 raised for the project was reached at a Roaring 20s fundraiser held in February 2024.“ Men came dressed in zoot suits and women in the dresses of the’ 20s,” said COO and General Manager Mickey Finn. Live and silent auctions were held along with other fundraisers.
PGA Head Golf Professional Chris Mabry said the idea for q Links was inspired by the popular“ Wee Links”
Kids playing the new“ q Links” small course at Lake Quivira is the pride and joy of( from left) General Manager Mickey Finn, Head Golf Pro Chris Mabry, and Golf Course Superintendent Todd Towery.
The q Links opening was held on Masters weekend with this junior( above) dressed in proper attire. Note the Zoysia greens with eight-inch cups.
The the longest hole at q Links is 45 yards with hitting-mats on the tee boxes.
KC Golf News
by Alan Hoskins, feature writer Photos by Becca Alvord Photography small course program created at several public courses by long-time PGA Golf Professional Jeff Burey. Lake Quivira, however, is the only private course with a small course. Designed by landscape architect Vance Rzepka, the course was built by local contractor Frank Masterson.
“ We really had to move very little dirt,” said Finn. The course offers Zoysia greens with eight-inch cups and hitting mats on the tee boxes. Todd Towery, the director of golf course maintenance and assistant general manager, added to the charm of the course with attractive greenside and tee box rock formations.
The official opening, which attracted approximately 300 club members, was held April 12, with Neville, Hawkey, and Parenze cutting the ceremonial ribbon with special recognition to Eric Vossman, a club member who was instrumental in pushing the project forward.“ We called it moving-in day,” said Finn.“ It was the Saturday of the Masters tournament, and we had a food truck with a big TV and portable restrooms. A fun time for all.”
Use of the new course has been huge.“ Especially after schools were out in the afternoon and on the weekends,” said Mabry. There are no tee times. Kids and members just show up and play.“ Some members play every day, and I think it’ s a good bet we’ ll get a lot of play this summer.”
Mickey Finn, who is in his second year as general manager, has been overwhelmed by the support of Lake Quivira residents.“ I’ ve never seen so many volunteers doing so much for the community; it’ s just crazy.”
As a golf club and a community, Lake Quivira stands alone as one of the most unique in Kansas City.“ Chris and I say we’ re a unicorn. We have things no one else has,” said Finn.“ A sailing club, a saddle club with 15 horses, a large community center with two basketball courts, tennis courts, and exercise facilities.” And that’ s all in addition to the 18-hole championship golf course and driving range, the lake, and the sandy beach, which is packed during the summer through fall months.
“ Incredibly proud of what q Links represents— not only a new course but a space where golfers of all ages and abilities can grow,” says Mabry, a past assistant at the course and now in his seventh year as head professional.“ The incredible support from the community and the fundraising efforts have made this vision a reality. We can’ t wait to see it thrive and inspire the next generation of golfers.”
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