6.4. SR 12-05-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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FACILITY DESCRIPTION Pinewood Golf Course lies on the northern border of the City of Elk River, a town of just over 19,000 people located in Sherburne County on the extreme northern edge of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. The golf course is a nine hole executive length course on approximately 27 acres of land. Course length ranges from 1,497 to 1,832 yards with a par of 30. A site visit on November 16, 2005 was limited by poor winter weather conditions. However, the golf course appeared to be modern in design with small greens, small tee stations with two (2) platforms on some holes, and no observable bunkering. The small size of the site may create ball flight problems on several of the holes on the boundaries of the property. Ball flight into neighboring properties and roadways on holes #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, and #8 may be problematic but was difficult to determine during the site visit. If ball flight problems are a problem from any of these holes, due to the small configuration of the property no reasonable solution exists either in terms of hole redesign or barrier construction. Turfgrass condition was unobservable due to snow cover but was reported to be good. A Toro single row irrigation system installed approximately 20 years ago at the time of course construction covers the nine holes. The irrigation water source is adequate with the overall system supplied directly by a well and 160 gallon per minute pump system. A pole barn of approximately 1,350 square feet serves as an adequate maintenance facility. No specialized facility exists for either gasoline storage or pesticide storage. The inventory of maintenance equipment must be considered dated with the majority of day-to-day cutting equipment five (5) to ten (10) years old or older. Turf cutting equipment including greensmower, fairway mower, and rough mower will be due for replacement in a two (2) to three (3) year period. Other equipment pieces including tractor with front end loader, teemower, utility vehicles, and sprayer attachment are all past industry replacement standards in terms of either age or hours used. Equipment such as aerator, top dresser, and fertilizer spreader are not part of the observed equipment inventory. A clubhouse consists of approximately 1,700 square feet and is dated in its decor. A golfer check-in area with counter and snack sales occupies the front section of the building with a small area for tables and chairs. Two (2) small rest rooms, men's and women's, are towards the rear from the counter area and are not handicap accessible. The building also contains a simple party room accommodating between 30 to 40 people toward the rear. The parking lot is adequate in size and is in fair condition but will require seal coat and crack repair in the near term. Overall the physical viability of this golf facility can be rated as good. Any potential new operator would need to be aware of the following physical limitations: 1. The size of the site and proximity of neighboring properties may cause problems in the areas of ball flight and trespassing pedestrian traffic. 2. There is no available land for driving range expansion. 3. The clubhouse will require some level of investment in order to update its decor and comply with ADA requirements. 4. Golf course items such as maintenance equipment and irrigation system are nearing the end of their useful life and represent significant investments in the next two (2) to ten (10) year period. 1