Feature Story
Tomahawk Hills
Installs $ 1.6 Million Irrigation System
Plus , new tee boxes and an updated website for one of the city ’ s oldest golf courses . Upgrades planned for spring 2024 .
Words and Photography by Alan Hoskins
One of the oldest golf courses in the greater Kansas City area is going to the forefront of irrigation systems . Once the weather cooperates , installation of a new $ 1.6 million stateof-the-art irrigation system will begin at Tomahawk Hills Golf Course located at the intersection of I-435 and Midland Drive in Shawnee .
The new system will replace a decaying irrigation system installed more than 50 years ago . “ According to our service rep , it ’ s the worst irrigation system he ’ s dealt with in the Kansas City area ,” says Andrew Huffman , the golf superintendent at Tomahawk Hills for the last 12 years .
Huffman said the current old-style one-row system down the middle of the fairway will be replaced by the new double-row , wallto-wall system . “ We ’ ll be able to water a lot more of the course and with a whole lot more efficiency .” The system will also feature 773 new Rain Bird sprinkler heads .
“ If we get good weather , the project will be completed by August — although we ’ re hoping it will be sooner than that ,” says Michael Tanner , who is in his third year as head golf professional and manager of golf operations .
Tanner said there will be minimal impact to play on the course . “ In the offseason , we ’ ll close two holes , but it will be a 17-hole course during the summer ,” he explained . “ Only one hole will be closed at a time , and we ’ ll always have one of the two nines open for play .”
Head Golf Professional and Director of Golf Operations Michael Tanner ( left ) and Superintendent Andrew Huffman review plays for the installation of a new $ 1.6 million irrigation system underway .
The good news for Tomahawk Hills patrons is the $ 1.6 million has already been raised . “ We ’ re coming off a great year [ 2023 ] and put all the profits back into the course ,” says Tanner . “ The majority of the funding will come through funding by Johnson County Park and Recreation with some funding from Heritage Park and Tomahawk Hills . We ’ re just waiting to get started .”
A total of 35,529 rounds of golf were played at Tomahawk Hills in 2023 . “ A great year ,” says Tanner . “ We don ’ t have past years ’ records at hand , but it ’ s definitely the most rounds since maybe back in the 1990s .”
Opened in 1910 as the Elm Ridge Golf and Country Club , Tomahawk Hills is one of the oldest courses in the greater Kansas City area and may be the oldest course still existing in its present location on the Kansas side . Johnson County Park and Recreation purchased the course in 1973 for $ 1,068,200 and has since opened its sister course , Heritage Park , in southern Olathe .
In addition to the new irrigation system , Tomahawk Hills is getting new tee boxes on two holes . The par-4 4th tee box will be reshaped , and the hole lengthened from 410 yards to 427 yards . The par-3 6th hole
16 March 2024 TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE