Opened in 1989, the Tempe, Ariz., course has hosted the Arizona State University men’s and women’s golf teams for 30 years. Director of Golf Derek Crawford estimates the course logged more than a million rounds of public golf during that span, as well.
Bunker Renovation Completed at Tijeras Creek GC
All 76 bunkers at the Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. property, totaling more than 90,000 square feet, were overhauled during the four-month project.
New Clubhouse at Papago GC Completed
The new facility at the 55-year-old municipal course in Phoenix, Ariz. features Lou’s Bar & Grill, an “open and inviting” restaurant named for the late Lou Grubb, a successful auto dealer and philanthropist in the community. The restaurant also features a new event hall, Evie’s Pavilion, named for Lou Grubb’s wife Evelyn. The new Douglas…
Palo Alto (Calif.) Municipal GC to Reopen Under OB Sports As Baylands Golf Links
The Palo Alto City Council approved a three-year, $9 million agreement with the management firm for full operation of the course, which has been reconstructed to create 55 acres of new wetland, through a makeover that began because a levee had to be relocated to improve flood control.
Tucson, Ariz., Golf Courses Paint Complex Financial Picture
The city estimates it made $221,369 in operating revenue at its five municipal golf courses in the 2017 fiscal year, but when depreciation and interest payments are taken into account, the city lost $522,842. Those figures also do not reflect the estimated $25 million in capital improvements city officials believe the courses will need in…
New Owners: Legacy GC to Stay Golf Course “Forever and Ever”
Par Excellence Drive Trust LLC, which closed the Henderson, Nev., property the day after it purchased it in July, said expects to reopen the club in the next few weeks. The announcement came soon after a judge appointed OB Sports as receiver in response to homeowners suing the company based on a deed restriction that…
OB Sports Selected to Manage Forest Oaks CC
OB Sports will oversee all golf and club operations for the facility. OB Sports Golf Management announced it has assumed club management duties for Forest Oaks Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. The former host of the Greater Greensboro Open from 1977 through 2007, OB Sports will oversee all golf and club operations for the facility.…
Chefs at Mill Creek (Wash.) CC Win “Oysterfest” Awards
Executive Chef John Clark and Sous Chef Anthony Eads won the Best Overall Grand Champion Gold medal and a Gold medal in the Appetizer Category at the 35th annual West Coast Oyster Shucking Championship and Washington State Seafood Festival. The culinary team at Mill Creek, an OB Sports property, will also oversee a “Focus on Farming” luncheon for 500 farmers on November 3rd that will feature products grown or raised in Washington state.
OB Sports, Troon Add to Management Portfolios
OB Sports took over management of Mt. Graham Municipal Golf Course in Thatcher, Ariz., on May 10, and has since begun renovating the food and beverage facility for a new restaurant. Troon has been selected to operate The Reserve Club at Woodside in Aiken, S.C., which is undergoing a 17,000-sq. ft. expansion of its clubhouse.
Arizona, Indiana Golf Properties Under New Management
OB Sports will manage the municipal Mt. Graham Golf Course in Safford, Ariz., under a short-term, five-month contract as the city determines what direction it wants to take the property. In Michigan City, Ind., KemperSports has been retained to manage Pottawattomie Country Club, which includes an 18-hole golf course, pool with snack bar, and newly built clubhouse.
The GC of Vistoso, Arizona National GC Stage a Comeback
A report in the Arizona Daily Star details the journeys of the two Tucson golf courses, which were purchased at a foreclosure sale in 2014 and are now getting a second chance.
Search for Firm to Manage Antelope Hills GC Down to Two Contenders
OB Sports and Billy Casper Golf will have a second round of interviews during the week of January 13 to vie for the business at the municipal course in Prescott, Ariz. The city is seeking a “hybrid” arrangement that would separate public course maintenance from private management of business operations, and also looking for a revenue guarantee for a course that has amassed $4 million in debt.
OB Sports Selected for Tucson, Ariz. Course Management
A review panel selected the management firm to run the city’s five municipals. Negotiations for the contract have begun and finalization is expected for later this month unless any protests are filed. OB Sports is seeking an annual fee of $240,000, plus incentives.
Antelope Hills GC Piques Interest of Seven Firms
Representatives of seven management firms attended a pre-proposal meeting held at the Prescott, Ariz., municipal golf course, attendance of which was mandatory under the terms of the request for proposals released by the city. The companies have until November 21 to submit a proposal and the city expects to make a decision on a private operator by January 2014.
Coming Up Fast
As management firms of all types and sizes continue to drive industry innovation and investment, an emerging group of key players bears special watching.