The custom golf club manufacturer could buy the Pella, Iowa golf course, which went up for sale last year and did not open this spring. The city owns the land and recently agreed to purchase the course’s conference center, pro shop and other buildings.

The makers of Warrior Custom Golf clubs have emerged as a likely buyer of Bos Landen Golf Club in Pella, Iowa, although city and company officials declined to talk because the two sides had not officially reached an accord, the Des Moines (Iowa) Register reported.

“Nothing is final,” Pella Mayor Jim Mueller said of the deal. “We can’t comment on anything right now.”

The 18-hole Bos Landen course was ranked in Golf Digest as the top public course in Iowa from 1997 to 2001, but went up for sale last year and never opened this spring. The city of Pella owns the land, and this week the council approved a resolution to assign a lease for the playing area to Warrior Golf Venture, the Register reported.

Officials set a public hearing date for June 3 for residents to consider the proposal. If approved, Warrior would take on a lease that would cost $1 per year for 99 years, the Register reported.

Also this month, the City Council agreed to purchase the course’s conference center, pro shop and other buildings from current owner, R&R Management, which has operated the course since 2009, the Register reported.

City officials either could not be reached for comment or did not return messages left by the Register.

Officials from Warrior confirmed they were in the mix for the golf course but pointed out any movement would have to be quick because of the approaching season, the Register reported.

Trevor Tam, director of daily operations for the golf course, said its first event is scheduled for June 20. “It’s the craziest deal I’ve ever been a part of,” Tam said. “It’s unique, and time is of the essence.”
Warrior builds customizable golf clubs and has been acquiring golf courses for about three years. It has 16 courses, most in the Southeast or California, the Register reported.

Bos Landen co-owner Scott Reuter put the course on the market last fall, four years after he bought it, citing family reasons. At the time, Reuter reported that the course had seen gross revenue jump 39 percent in that time, with membership increasing by 20 percent, the Register reported.

Tourism officials have watched closely to see what happens, hoping the next owners can help the course continue that growth, the Register reported.

“It’s a huge asset for the community and for visitors,” said Karen Eischen, executive director of the Pella Chamber of Commerce. “It’s wonderful for visitors who come here on vacation and also an asset when we have corporate travelers with meetings. To not have that, it would be a big loss for the community.”