Wicked Pony Public

[Steve_Roths]

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/othercities/portland/stories/2010/02/01/story6.html?b=1265000400%5E2809871&s=industry&i=resi_real_estate

[Rob Rigg]

If it happens,

insert happy dance here!

With Wicked Pony online - Central Oregon could become a real golf destination (although still rather pricey at most of the courses).

I feel like the area needed one more compelling course to put it over the top - JMO

- Tetherow ($150ish includes replay) - tough walk
- Pronghorn-Nicklaus ($175ish I think) - walkable
- Juniper ($40ish) - walkable
- Wicked Pony (?) - walkable

[Jud_T]

Awesome news, if it happens!

[Alex Miller]

http://www.remingtonranch.com/pdf/Tom_Doak_Answers.pdf

It's supposed to eventually have 3 courses!!!

This is great news, why can't I live in Oregon?

[Tom_Doak]

Not a done deal yet.

Also, I didn't realize I was a "celebrity" designer, but I guess I must be since they saw fit to print how much I'm owed on the deal.

[Rob Rigg]

Based on the amount of water available in the area - not much - it would be great if WP got done and a lodge with a few homesites and nothing more.

Quality over quantity please.

Of course, Tom said that WP is going to be a "low handicapper" course so they may want/need to have another on the site as well. In which case they can shut down Brasada Ranch in order to save water and residents there can just drive over to RR. 

I wonder if they would consider bringing in a "different" designer for the second course (ie - not Stadler or whoever was lined up) - maybe someone who would build something different from Renaissance but in the same genre of "fitting the landscape". This was not done at Brasada despite a very cool site.

First things first, get the Pony done!

[Steve_Roths]

I think opening the course will generate publicity which can only help. 

[Richard Choi]

Tom, I think you should change your GCA tag to "Celebrity Golf Architect"....

[George Freeman]

Pippin said the first nine holes of Wicked Pony need sand traps and some maintenance after two years of disuse. The back nine holes have been sculpted into the terrain, but need turf and landscaping. He estimates it would take a few months of work to get Wicked Pony in play condition.

“If things go very well, it could be open this year,” he said.


Tom,

Do you agree with this timeline?  Could you finish and get the course in playing condition in a few months given its current state (whatever that may be)?

Thanks

[Tom_Doak]

George:

We were only 2-3 months from finishing construction when the project shut down.  They've got nine holes pretty much finished, and nine half shaped (just a bit of drainage in, no sand cap in place, no irrigation on that nine).  If we started on it again tomorrow, we'd plant the last hole in May or June and they might well play all 18 holes toward the end of the year.  But we aren't starting tomorrow, so I don't know how realistic the timeline is.

[Ronald Montesano]

Mr. Tom.

Don't worry...we'll keep your head properly sized around here.

[Tom_Doak]

I just received the first wave of bankruptcy filings on the project this morning.

For those of you who have ever thought of developing a golf course, here are some interesting numbers owed (rounded off):

Water company $250,000
Lawyers $250,000
Architect for sales center $50,000
Land planners $350,000
Engineering company $500,000
Archaeologists $40,000

Local contractor on course $5 million
Golf course contractor $3 million
Sales center contractor $400,000

Those are the fees currently owed; presumably some of these people (like myself) were paid for some of their services before the money stopped flowing.

[Rob Rigg]

Tom,

Very interesting - can you estimate how much of that cost would have applied to the project if they had only intended to build 18 holes and a small clubhouse? Or are these figures only reflective of WP and the Sales Center? In which case, wow!

Also, what is the difference between "Local contractor on course" and "Golf course contractor" - is it local contractor/labor vs your team?

Does this include estimated costs for sand capping?

Thanks!

[Garland Bayley]

So Tom, are you in the habit of throwing a little business to your dig in the dirt brother? Couldn't help but see his profession mentioned there.

[Tom_Doak]

Rob and Garland:

The "local contractor on course" is a local earthmover.  Some of those costs are for entrance road, etc., but the majority are for work on the golf course, including blasting and, especially, sand capping materials and trucking.

The "golf course contractor" is, indeed, a golf course contractor.  My associates have done most or all of the shaping work, that's a big chunk of what's owed to me.  But the golf course contractor has installed the sand cap and the drainage and irrigation.

Archaeology:  my brother works in Arizona, Garland.  But some initial assessment must be done for nearly all sites out west because of the possibility of Native American sites.  That business has seen difficult times as a result of the slowdown in development, too, incidentally.

[Mac Plumart]

Very cool.

Thanks for sharing Tom!!

[Rob Rigg]

Thanks Tom - much appreciated!