Photo by Steve Bloom/The Olympian
Brent Zepp (red vest) assists a golfer in the Merriwood Pro Shop, where inventory from Vicwood has been transferred while the restaurant and pro shop remodeling project is under way.

Photo by Steve Bloom/The Olympian
Professional instructor LeeAnne Hine works with student Richard St. John during a lesson at the Airport Golf Center in Tumwater.

St. John, who has practiced at the business for more than two years said the recent improvements such as raised net areas and grounds additions have helped.

South Sound golf centers make changes

Courses use off-season for remodeling, improvements

SCOTT WYLAND THE OLYMPIAN

THURSTON COUNTY -- OK, so the sound of rain pelting the windows and the sight of dark clouds blanketing the sky might not inspire you to reach for your golf bag.

But wet winter weather hasn't stopped some golf-course operators from improving their amenities as they wait -- and hope -- for clouds to part and the spring sun to warm the fairways.

Here are some Thurston County golf courses that are in the midst of upgrades and changes.

'The Two Woods'

Meriwood Golf Course and Vicwood Golf Links are known as "The Two Woods." These 18-hole courses will soon merge into one entity called The Golf Club at Hawks Prairie.

Bellevue-based Oki Development Inc. will complete the transition in June, at which time score cards, menus, letterhead and other items will carry the new name.

Vicwood and Meriwood will cease to exist.

"It's always a challenge to get a new name out," said David Hein, Oki regional operations manager.

Oki plans this week to begin renovating and expanding the Vicwood restaurant and pro shop, a project that will cost "a couple hundred thousand" dollars, Hein said.

The Meriwood restaurant and pro shop will be closed, except for a small snack bar that will provide drinks and light food to golfers coming off the ninth hole, Hein said.

Having one restaurant and pro shop at the location makes sense financially, said Deron Pointer, assistant golf professional at the Two Woods.

"It's going to cut costs," Pointer said.

About 1,500 square feet will be added to the restaurant, enabling it to seat 150 to 180 people. The golf shop will be expanded by 900 square feet.

The restaurant will offer sit-down table service, whereas patrons now must order food at the counter, Hein said.

Although the menu will still be tailored to golfers on the go -- burgers, sandwiches, salads -- Hein hopes the remodeled restaurant will draw nonplayers as well.

Oki bought the two courses last year from a group of companies headed by Vicwood Chong, a Hong Kong lumber tycoon.

Oki also owns Indian Summer Golf & Country Club in Olympia, as well as courses in Snohomish, Newcastle and Sammamish.

Hein declined to discuss financial information for The Two Woods and Indian Summer, including yearly revenue.

The previous owner had put up buildings that had a temporary feel to them, Hein said.

Because Hawks Prairie is a growing area, Oki decided to create a complex large enough and durable enough to accommodate a swelling number of golfers for years to come, Hein said.

"We didn't want to build another temporary structure," Hein said. "We want to build something that lasts and grows."

Airport Golf Center

A little more than a year ago, this nine-hole Tumwater golf course was part of a bankruptcy auction in New York.

New York-based Family Golf Centers Inc., now dissolved, had fallen deeply into the red and was attempting to sell off its chain of golf and recreation centers.

The Port of Olympia bought the golf course for $29,000. It already owned the land on which the course had been built.

The port renamed the course the Airport Golf Center.

The purchase proved contentious. Critics said the port shouldn't be in the recreation business, nor should it compete with private operators.

In January, the port put the golf course up for sale. So far, 59 people have requested information about the course.

"There seems to be a lot of interest in this," said Bruce Marshall, the port harbor manager, who oversees the course.

Last year, the port spent $132,000 doubling the height of netting along a 650-foot stretch of the driving range.

The previous 50-foot-tall netting had allowed too many balls to fly over onto neighboring properties. People using the range were limited to irons and soft-core balls.

These constraints contributed to a drop in revenue at the golf center, said George Fox, port financial officer.

In 2001, the golf course grossed $246,077, down from $354,414 in 2000, Fox said.

With the taller netting, driving restrictions were lifted, resulting in higher attendance, Marshall said.

"They can use all the clubs in their bag, instead of just their irons," Marshall said.

During the first 21/2 months of this year, about 25 percent more people used the driving range than during the same period in 2001, Fox said.

Having a driving range that's fully functional should make the golf center more appealing to prospective buyers, Marshall said.

Tumwater Valley

This city has just finished adding new paths for golf carts and a computerized irrigation system at the 18-hole Tumwater Valley Municipal Golf Course.

The improvements cost $1.3 million and took six months to complete.

"We're committed to always improving," said Stu Aden, head PGA pro at the club.

Although the work created some obstructions while it was in progress, Tumwater Valley still pulled in 2 percent more revenue in 2001 than the year before, Aden said.

The course generated about $804,000 in sales in 2001, compared to $788,000 in 2000, said Chuck Denney, director of Tumwater parks and recreation.

To pay for the upgrades, the city refinanced the long-term debt on the golf course, Aden said.

Incurred in 1996, the debt was at $3.47 million last year. Refinancing the debt bumped it to $4.37 million and added five years to the time needed to pay it off, Denney said.

The debt is now scheduled to be paid in 2025, Denney said.

The next project will be to perforate the turf and fill the holes with sand, so that water seeps deeper into the ground, preventing the grass and topsoil from becoming soggy, Aden said.

Capitol City Golf Club

Capitol City's managers have tentative plans to remodel the clubhouse and add sand to the fairway bunkers.

But they must await approval from American Golf Corp., the Santa Monica, Calif., company that operates 18-hole Capitol City and at least 250 other courses across the country.

"Other than that, we're trying to survive the rain," said Darin Safford, Capitol City general manager.

In South Sound, competition among golf courses is fierce, requiring owners to continually make upgrades, Safford said.

"There's definitely more supply in the market than demand," Safford said.

National surveys show that one in 10 people play golf, but the ratio is probably lower in the rainy Northwest, Safford said.

Indian Summer

Last year, Indian Summer Golf & Country Club added a putting and chipping green near its driving range.

Golfers can now practice hitting balls out of sand bunkers and onto a green.

At the driving range, the teeing area, made of natural turf, was doubled in width to 50 yards.

The wider teeing area enables golfers to rotate toward the front or back while a chewed-up portion is being re-seeded, said Dave Shelton, Indian Summer's head pro.

Before, golfers chopped down on the same patch of grass through the entire season, Shelton said. "After a month or so, it's all beaten up."

Scott Wyland is a business reporter for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-357-0748 or swyland@olympia.gannett.com.

For more local news go to the Business section.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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