West Woods Golf Club Need an Upgrade (Golf Master Tips) - The clubhouse at city-owned West Woods Golf Club is in dire need of upgrades or replacement, city officials say, and officials want to replace the 20-year-old building by the end of 2019.
One of two golf courses Arvada owns, West Woods at 6655 Quaker St. has experienced higher than expected use since expanding from 18 to 27 holes 10 years ago, said Gordon Reusink, director of Arvada's Parks, Golf and Hospitality department.
Reusink praised the condition of the golf course but said the facilities are lacking.
He added that hosting tournaments has become especially problematic, as local families grabbing a bite to eat compete with hundreds of golfers for parking spaces and only two restrooms, with parking sometimes spilling into nearby neighborhoods.
Food served at tournaments also has to be prepared at the Arvada Center and shipped to West Woods.
Exacerbating the problem is the long-term negotiations that would transfer governance of the Arvada Center from a city-run entity into a nonprofit center. When and if that happens, the city hospitality department — currently housed at the Arvada Center — would need a new home.
"If we move forward with that, it adds some sense of urgency," said District 3 Councilman John Marriott. "For the nonprofit foundation to have the best chance to succeed would be for them to have control of all food and beverage functions that happen there. Providing concessions for patrons is one way the foundation could make money."
Two months ago, Z-Design Group was awarded a $60,000 contract to conduct a study of the existing clubhouse. At the July 27 council meeting, the consultants are expected to present conceptual renderings along with cost estimates and other details on either expanding, renovating or building a new facility.
The city has also held one community meeting, with more planned.
Multiple city officials declined to speculate what the cost might be, saying they needed the results from the consultant group. A June 2014 workshop that discussed possible capital improvement projects, however, pegged the cost of a new clubhouse and conference center at $16 million.
At the time, District 4 Councilman Bob Dyer balked at the number, saying the original clubhouse and maintenance building cost $400,000.
"Sixteen million dollars is really huge, and I'm not sure the whole golf course cost $16 million when it was built," he said at the time, before suggesting it be reidentified as more of a "clubhouse and conference facility."
City Manager Bill Ray said golf courses are meant to be run as enterprise funds, meaning they're mostly supported by user fees with the occasional help from the general fund.
"The golf course in an enterprise fund; there's a greens fee charged to its users," Ray said. "Ideally, that would be the source of funding if the clubhouse is expanded or rebuilt."
West Woods restaurant and golf operations generated $3.1 million in 2014, most of which went back to pay for course operations. City officials declined to speculate on how any additional money would be generated should the project proceed.
Cindi Kreutzer was on a recent citizen led capital improvement plan committee that made recommendations on what the top capital projects in Arvada were.
The clubhouse was never on the official city-provided list of dozens of projects the group had to whittle down and prioritize, and Kreutzer said the group discussed the clubhouse early on and placed it at the bottom of city funding priorities.
"Spending $16 million — or any amount of significant money — on a golf course sounds crazy to me in a city where we can't keep our roads maintained," Kreutzer said.
About author"
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729 or abriggs@denverpost.com golf course article source: Denver Post
One of two golf courses Arvada owns, West Woods at 6655 Quaker St. has experienced higher than expected use since expanding from 18 to 27 holes 10 years ago, said Gordon Reusink, director of Arvada's Parks, Golf and Hospitality department.
West Woods Golf Club Need un Upgrade
"Last year, the restaurants at our two golf courses served a total of 117,000 people," Reusink said. "When we first opened an 18-hole course at West Woods, we had parking, equipment and storage designed for an 18-hole course. There's now a lot of deficiencies and inadequacies that have come with a 50 percent expansion."Reusink praised the condition of the golf course but said the facilities are lacking.
He added that hosting tournaments has become especially problematic, as local families grabbing a bite to eat compete with hundreds of golfers for parking spaces and only two restrooms, with parking sometimes spilling into nearby neighborhoods.
Food served at tournaments also has to be prepared at the Arvada Center and shipped to West Woods.
Exacerbating the problem is the long-term negotiations that would transfer governance of the Arvada Center from a city-run entity into a nonprofit center. When and if that happens, the city hospitality department — currently housed at the Arvada Center — would need a new home.
"If we move forward with that, it adds some sense of urgency," said District 3 Councilman John Marriott. "For the nonprofit foundation to have the best chance to succeed would be for them to have control of all food and beverage functions that happen there. Providing concessions for patrons is one way the foundation could make money."
Two months ago, Z-Design Group was awarded a $60,000 contract to conduct a study of the existing clubhouse. At the July 27 council meeting, the consultants are expected to present conceptual renderings along with cost estimates and other details on either expanding, renovating or building a new facility.
The city has also held one community meeting, with more planned.
Multiple city officials declined to speculate what the cost might be, saying they needed the results from the consultant group. A June 2014 workshop that discussed possible capital improvement projects, however, pegged the cost of a new clubhouse and conference center at $16 million.
At the time, District 4 Councilman Bob Dyer balked at the number, saying the original clubhouse and maintenance building cost $400,000.
"Sixteen million dollars is really huge, and I'm not sure the whole golf course cost $16 million when it was built," he said at the time, before suggesting it be reidentified as more of a "clubhouse and conference facility."
City Manager Bill Ray said golf courses are meant to be run as enterprise funds, meaning they're mostly supported by user fees with the occasional help from the general fund.
"The golf course in an enterprise fund; there's a greens fee charged to its users," Ray said. "Ideally, that would be the source of funding if the clubhouse is expanded or rebuilt."
West Woods restaurant and golf operations generated $3.1 million in 2014, most of which went back to pay for course operations. City officials declined to speculate on how any additional money would be generated should the project proceed.
Cindi Kreutzer was on a recent citizen led capital improvement plan committee that made recommendations on what the top capital projects in Arvada were.
"Spending $16 million — or any amount of significant money — on a golf course sounds crazy to me in a city where we can't keep our roads maintained," Kreutzer said.
About author"
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729 or abriggs@denverpost.com golf course article source: Denver Post
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