The Augusta, Ga., club will begin “real work” on the facility once the Georgia State Golf Association 2015 Junior Championship wraps up on June 24. The update is expected to be complete by the end of the summer.
When the Georgia State Golf Association 2015 Junior Championship is over on June 24, the real work will start on West Lake Country Club’s new practice facility, the Evans, Ga.-based Columbia County News-Times reported.
The update of the Augusta, Ga., property is expected to be completed by the end of the summer and Director of Golf Operations Kirk Hice said everything is right on schedule.
“The tree work, kind of the first phase of that project, is pretty much complete,” Hice said. “They’re going to come in after the state junior championship (June 22-24) and start moving dirt and kind of get into the final stage of that project.”
That is just one of the $1.5 million in capital projects that began almost immediately after Concert Golf Partners recapitalized West Lake Country Club in late April, liquidated the club’s long-standing debt, froze dues and barred future assessments. As well as the practice facility, there are also pool and tennis complex improvements, a planned banquet hall expansion and added casual dining options for members, the News-Times reported.
General Manager Augie Barrios estimated that work on the pool, repainting, deck work and new furniture was about 90 percent complete, the News-Times reported.
Three-year member Molly McCoy is happy with the changes she’s seen thus far. “The pool, immediately you can see the new furniture is updated and the paint looks beautiful and they’re bringing new events to the pool like the dive-in movie,” McCoy said. “We also have towel service at the pool and that’s nice.”
Concert Golf Partners’ Chief Executive Officer Peter Nanula said the driving range remodel, being done by Bobby Cupp Designs, was one of the projects at the top of the improvement list when they took over, the News-Times reported.
“I think West Lake used to have a relatively short driving range,” Nanula said. “A fantastic golf course, but when you can’t hit driver on your driving range it’s harder to practice, especially when you’re a good golfer. It’s being expanded and enlarged. If you hit your driver 325, you’ll be happy out here now.”
Hice said that when the range was built 40 years ago, the ball didn’t travel like it does now and the equipment wasn’t as good. He’s happy to be able to get away from a limited-flight ball since the range was short and that there will be an improved short-game practice area, the News-Times reported.
“Just the overall practice experience is going to get a whole lot better,” Hice said. “The players now will be able to hit greenside bunker shots, fairway bunker shots, we’ve got a private-lesson tee. It’s really going to be a full-service practice area.”
With West Lake still facing financial challenges and a dwindling membership as a result of a $6 million clubhouse renovation in 2006, its board of directors started looking for relief at the beginning of the year, and that turned out to be Concert Golf Partners, a boutique owner-operator, the News-Times reported.
“Clearly we were the best choice,” said Nanula, who oversees a reserve of $150 million that allowed them to recapitalize West Lake without incurring debt and begin working on projects. “I think that’s why we’re getting a positive response from members and prospective members, who are probably adopting a wait-and-see attitude.”
Barrios has seen good things happening throughout the club in his 42 days on the job, especially with membership back on the rise. “I’m extremely positive,” said Barrios. “The fact that we’ve been able to add 30 new members in basically the last 40 days is pretty incredible.”
Shannon Whitwell, a six-year resident at West Lake, is happy with the direction the club is headed, the News-Times reported.
“We’re excited to have a professional company handling it in a professional manner,” Whitwell said. “It needed someone to manage it that does this professionally and knows what they’re doing.”
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