AC Sandhills Moving Ahead on New Fields

Looking out across an open plain in the remote western part of Pinehurst last August, most people just saw waist-high weeds, grass and underbrush.

Todd Abbey, executive director of AC Sandhills, saw athletic fields, something the nonprofit youth sports organization desperately needs for its burgeoning programs. AC Sandhills has more than 2,800 members playing soccer, lacrosse, volleyball and youth triathlon.

"We're always looking for field space," Abbey said Thursday at the park as he met with two contractors who will turn the recently cleared site into two soccer fields, a lacrosse field and training area. "It is difficult to find enough field space. The amount of traffic we put on fields is pretty incredible. Three fields doesn't sound like a lot. It will make a huge difference for us."

Under an agreement formally signed last month, AC Sandhills will primarily use the fields at the park during times of bad weather when other fields in the area are closed. Abbey said that has certainly been the case the last few weeks with the winter weather and rain.

"We haven't been able to play or practice much," he said.

Abbey said Pinewild Country Club, thanks to the Sato family, came in with a bush hog and cleared the land last month.

"We thank them for being willing to help," Abbey said. "Now it is up to us to make them playable. We need to make them level so a ball will roll on them."

The village approved a zoning amendment allowing the club to put in a gravel parking lot with 75 spaces. The ordinance normally would require that the lot be paved, but this is for a temporary use.

Parks and Recreation Director Mark Wagner said the parking lot design must be approved by the village planning staff. In the meantime, the club has already begun working on the fields, which cover about 12 acres of the park's 67 acres, according to Interim Manager Jeff Batton.

Abbey said the fields will go a long way in providing more space for all of the club's outdoor programs. He said having them will help the club continue to grow and alleviate pressure on existing fields.

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AC Sandhills Moving Ahead on New Fields