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Spring Hill Golf Club Wetland Replacement Plan Application Revised December 5, 2012 Page 4 of 8 ' n Alternative Configurations d Impact Minimization a p In retrospect, the wetland areas proposed to be filled probably should have been filled during the original planning and permitting for the golf course. In designing golf courses, it is difficult to foresee how certain portions of the course will play until it is built and played on over a period of time. It is also difficult to predict the makeup of the users of the course and, therefore, whether the course will be too challenging or not challenging enough. This conundrum is exacerbated by the fact that the demographics of the golf course patrons change over time. This hole does not pose as great a challenge for the skilled golfer as it does for the ' less skilled player. However, Spring Hill strives to be a golf club that includes all skill levels. Currently, the club is limited in its client base due to the fact that it has a difficult golf course design. Many of these issues ' have been addressed by the golf course designer, Fazio Golf Course Designers, Inc. in a letter dated March 2, 2012 (Appendix B). ' The primary reason these wetland areas were not proposed to be filled in the original permit application in the 1990's is that every attempt was made at that time to minimize the amount of wetland fill as required by wetland regulations. In this case, minimizing wetland fill by omitting these fill areas was probably not prudent in light of the difficulty these areas have caused and the negative impact on play they have created. 1 Reducing the amount of fill in the north and south proposed fill areas is ' possible but is not considered feasible since the project purpose is to make the 13th hole playable. The proposed impacts at both fill sites has been greatly reduced from the original plan which would have filled a total of 0.707 acre. The north fill is proposed to go from the edge of each side of the fairway and the fairway actually "necks down" at the wetland crossing. The proposed north and south fill areas are designed to be the smallest footprint of fill necessary to make the hole playable. If they are ' reduced further, the project purpose will not be fulfilled. The north fill area represents the minimum area needed to create playable ' upland across the fairway. If a smaller area is filled the problem of play flow and enjoyment may still exist. ' Economic Impact 1 The economic impact of not improving the playability of the 13th hole is frankly difficult to predict with any amount of precision. Although it can't be forecast how many patrons might drop their memberships because of ' the issues described, there is an existing problem that causes the 13th to