It was a question from a member that gave Tom Judson the chance to look back over his 27 months as the POA's general manager. It was during the Coffee and Questions forum on Tuesday, April 10. Judson began the monthly forum not long after taking the position in January 2016.
The member asked about the many renovation projects that have been going on over the past two years.
Chronologically, the Metfield Clubhouse was probably first, Judson said, but it was well underway when he took his current position. Now, he's thinking about some changes that might improve the space.
Membership services is doing well in the building, he said, and the fitness center is gaining users all the time. But, he wants to improve the snack bar seating area, especially outside. It might draw more business if it was more attractive, he said.
Scotsdale was also underway when he started and he considers it a successful project. The clubhouse went from being the "dumpyest" in the region to being one of the nicest. While the area is small, business has been good and the decision to make it possible for one employee to sign up golfers and serve drinks is a huge cost savings, he said.
Judson is also happy with the changes to the golf course, in spite of complaints he hears that the greens are too fast. The greens were changed from bent grass to Bermuda grass as part of the renovation. The difference, he explained, is that bent grass is a cool-temperature grass and it's difficult to keep bent-grass greens healthy all summer. Bermuda grass thrives in hot weather; but it's hard to keep it going in the winter, so the greens are covered when the temperature dips. Some members complain that the course is closed very often in winter.
"It's better to have the challenges in the winter when there's less play," Judson said. The greens are not yet mature and will improve over the next year or two.
Lakepoint may be the biggest project. When Judson started, the building had been closed for several years. The POA had been leasing restaurant space and no one was interested in leasing the former "Yacht Club." After extensive renovations, Lakepoint opened as a POA-operated event center and restaurant in June 2017.
"It's doing well," Judson said, adding that about 30 weddings have been booked for 2018. Reviews are mostly good, he said. The menu probably needs a few "tweaks," he said.
Looking ahead, he believes the restaurant "looks healthy."
"The plan has always been to offer multiple price points," Judson said, as the discussion turned towards the County Club. The restaurant in the Country Club lost it's lessee in the fall of 2016. It was renovated and reopened in late March under POA management.
While Lakepoint offers more expensive entree, B.V.'s is more like a sports bar. It has also received good reviews, he said.
The renovation project at Branchwood has been delayed by Carroll Electric, Judson said. The first step, moving the power source, must be completed before other work can be done.
With the exception of an emergency fund, most of the POA's reserves have been spent, Judson said, so an assessment increase will be needed before any large projects are begun. He has one large project in mind, he told the member whose question led to his review of projects. He's already working on a new community center to replace Riordan Hall.
General News on 04/18/2018