Stench from Silver Oak Golf Course making neighbors wonder

A nasty stench once emanating from the Silver Oak Golf Course is all but gone after officials chemically treated and aerated ponds on the property.

City utilities Director Tom Hoffert received calls about the smell from residents living in the Silver Oak development, a high-end residential neighborhood built around the course.

Though the course uses treated waste water to keep the grass green, the problem odor was not from the water itself but from stagnant ponds on the property.

Hot summer temperatures caused water on the top of the ponds to sink to the bottom, Hoffert said. The inversion forced stinky muck that lurked below to mix and rise to the surface, bringing up naturally occurring debris, bird droppings, algae growth and other decomposing plant life.

"It was a combination of things that happened at one time to Silver Oak," Hoffert said.

The sulfur-like smell didn't keep golfers away, said Robert Mason, head golf professional at the course. The smell started dissipating several days ago, he said.

The use of treated waste water can produce a small amount of odor at times, but other golf courses and parks in the city have managed to maintain water before it starts smelling, Hoffert said.

"It's wise to be on top of that before it happens," Hoffert said.

Many golf courses use a water product in ponds that filters out light and keeps the temperature down.

The ponds at Silver Oak are now being aerated and chemically treated.