CHANGES HERALDED BY a switch in ownership are underway at Discovery Bay Golf Course near Port Townsend.
Full ownership and control of the historic course is now in the hands of Nicolas Hurtado and his sons, Tomas and Nicolas Jr.
The Hurtados had been ownership partners with Michael Asmundson since the purchase of the then-Chevy Chase Golf Course from the Bailey family in 2004.
Asmundson, designer of the back “Forest Nine” at Discovery Bay and the Home Course in DuPont, has retired to Phoenix, Ariz.
This isn’t news for Discovery Bay members, but I’ve been sitting on it for a little while, waiting for a chance to talk to the Hurtados about their decision to buy out Asmundson’s shares.
That won’t happen in this column, but a more in-depth question-and-answer session is planned soon thanks to Discovery Bay Golf Course general manager Randy White.
While North Olympic Peninsula golfing denizens deal with a protracted cold snap and forthcoming frost-related late starts, White is down south, playing some golf and enjoying temperatures in the mid-80s and even lower 90s.
A trip to Florida? Arizona? Palm Desert in California? Nope, try the South American nation of Chile, home of the Hurtado family.
White left on Thanksgiving for a two-week trip to meet with the Hurtados, discuss the progress of improvements currently underway and plan for future upgrades to the venerable course.
In an email to members, White mentioned the elder Hurtado has been instrumental in building championship golf resorts near Chile’s capital of Santiago, including with the country’s first public course.
Since taking full control of Discovery Bay on Aug. 1, the family has invested more than $300,000 in the golf course, with much of those funds going to purchase new equipment, such as a new Toro fairway mower, aerator, a greens mower and a new John Deere ProGator with a Turfco top-dresser attachment.
The course’s maintenance shop is being remodeled, and drainage improvements are underway on the seventh and 13th holes.
Funds have been budgeted for projects this fall and winter to improve playability on the course, including top-dressing fairways and rough and installation of drainage on fairways and around greens.
New tees are being built at the second and ninth holes, and the eighth tee is being doubled in size.
All in all, there is much to celebrate and enjoy as we turn towards next year.
Discovery Bay will celebrate these new developments at the club’s holiday party Sunday.
The event, a potluck dinner and gag gift exchange, will begin with a social hour at 4 p.m., followed by the potluck at 5 p.m.
The public is welcome to attend the event, just RSVP to the clubhouse at 360-385-0704 as soon as possible.
The party is cosponsored by the Discovery Bay men’s and ladies clubs.
Pre-Christmas tourney
SkyRidge Golf Course in Sequim will present a Pre-Christmas 18-hole Golf Tournament on Saturday.
The two-person event will tee off from the green tee boxes, with the first six holes a scramble play format, followed by six holes of better ball and six of aggregate play.
The shotgun start time for the event is 9:30 a.m. but frost may play a factor.
Price is $60 per team, and includes golf, range balls and food.
An optional $30 per team honey pot is also available.
Power carts are available for $15 per seat
Handicaps will be determined by 10 percent of total for scramble, then strokes where they fall for better ball and aggregate.
Get in the game by phoning SkyRidge at 360-683-3673.
Holiday Scramble
Port Townsend Golf Club will host its annual Blind Draw Holiday Scramble on Saturday, Dec. 14.
A 10 a.m. shotgun start is planned and green fees are $25 per player, plus $10 in green fees for nonmembers.
Phone the course at 360-385-4547 for more information.
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Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-417-3527 or pdngolf@gmail.com.