FRANKLIN TWP — Lake Arthur Country Club isn't one, really.

Tim and Marie Uncapher don't even like to consider themselves running a public course. It's more like a family course in their eyes.

"We want our golfers to feel like they're home when they're here," Marie Uncapher said.

Tim's in-laws, Hank and Mary Bartony, bought the course in the middle 1970s and turned it into a public facility.

Lake Arthur has become known for its leagues. Lake Arthur had 17 leagues last year and has added two more this season.

While some of the leagues are smaller in membership, others have 52, 50 and 40 members, respectively.

"The Lake Arthur Ladies League has been here 50 years," Tim Uncapher said. "We have an amazing clientele here and we're all about improving the facility to suit that clientele."

"Our leagues are comfortable with us," Marie said. "That's how it should be. We appreciate them. They're as important to us as family."

In recent years, Lake Arthur has added eight white sand traps and two lakes. Since last year, the course has picked up a True Turf greens roller "because golfers were complaining our greens were too slow," he said.

Now the greens play much faster.

"Golfers in the area are used to faster greens and they seek consistency that way," Marie said.

The fairways have been overseeded with bentgrass seed, the same seed that is on the greens. Drainage on the No. 1 and No. 10 fairways and and the practice green has been improved this spring as well.

Tim Uncapher said the new grass growing in on the fairways "support the ball for the golfer much better."

Marie Uncapher said demand is out there for high-quality, playable golf courses.

"People watch the pro tour on TV and feel all courses should be that way," she said. "We try to come as close as possible."

Improvements have also been made off the course at the Lake Arthur facility.

The inner wall of the dining room has been taken out, making it more spacious for guests while providing a panoramic view of the golf course. New carpeting is being installed.

The draft system for beer on tap had been 30 years old. It has been replaced and three new spickets have been added as a result. Lake Arthur has six draft beers on tap now.

"We want to become more attractive for golf outings, weddings and banquets," Tim Uncapher said. "The dance floor is enlarged ... The entire dining room can hold 200 people or more."

Lake Arthur averages between 175 and 200 golf outings per year. The facility hosts about eight wedding receptions per season.

"We'd like to get that number to 15 or 20," Uncapher said.

In conjuncdtion with special occasions, he's been making candles on the side for two years now. Angel candles and unity candles for weddings have been his most popular.

And when he makes black-and-gold candles, "they sell pretty well," Uncapher said, laughing