Nobody nose what’s happening, but it’s fair to say that something smells at Arrowhead Country Club. The golf course’s superintendent, Stephen Kyle Bais, pleaded not guilty in court recently after being charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor criminal charge. What prompted this defense? Well, the smell from a pond near the sixth hole, of course.
Apparently, over the last few years, neighbors and residents have been complaining of a foul stench from the water. One went so far as to call it “repulsive” and say that it wasn’t far off from a sewer. City officials said code violations were issued, according to AZ Central, but the stench kept on keeping on. Locals went so far as to file multiple petitions over the odor with write-ups of various smells over the year.
A foul stench from a golf course’s sixth-hole pond has been driving residents of the nearby Arrowhead Ranch subdivision in Glendale mad for years. After issuing multiple code violations, the city is taking the country club to court. https://t.co/4M0vvqZEbT
— Shawn Raymundo (@ShawnzyTsunami) March 2, 2024
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“The issue is that Arcis Golf is not taking the necessary steps to fund the cleanup of this lake on the sixth hole of the country club,” Arrowhead denizen Jim Rice wrote in a letter to The Republic. “The golf course owners continue to drag their feet to make the necessary changes to clean the lake.
“The lake cleanup is a huge problem that the lead maintenance person, (Stephen) Bais, cannot solve,” Rice continued. “He needs assistance from the Arcis corporate office, which is responsible for funding the cleaning of the lake on hole 6 and, I am sure, the other lakes throughout the Arrowhead Golf Club.”
It’s believed that algae are the culprit of this mess, but that knowledge hasn’t stopped the smell from lingering.
Bais is facing a Class 1 misdemeanor charge for his culpability to the smell. It’s one step below a felony charge. Locals have stated that they believe Bais to be the fall guy for the Arrowhead Ranch subdivision and that it’s more than just this one individual to blame.
Glendale City Court Judge Eartha Washington has scheduled a pretrial conference for April 24. Hopefully things can be settled soon, so the only thing that stinks at Arrowhead Country Club is the golfers’ short game.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
