It won’t be long now! The long-anticipated Balboa Clubhouse and Golf Course renovation will soon begin, and the cost of the improvements will be much less than stated in the past. This project is being paid for using a golf reserve fund, funded by golfers paying a $2.50 surcharge since 2020.
At the Wednesday, May 15, Hot Springs Village POA Board Meeting, Tom Heffer, Director of Golf, and Ginger George, Contracts and Development Supervisor, requested that the Golf Reserve Funds be used for Balboa Clubhouse and Balboa Golf Course Renovation. The Board unanimously approved the motion by Board Director Gary Belair and seconded by Board Vice-chair Larry Siener.
Long thought-out plan
General Manager Kelly Hale said staff had worked tirelessly on the Balboa Clubhouse and Golf Course Renovation Plan for two and a half years.
Heffer said, “Back in 2020, the Board of Directors created a Balboa Reserve Fund. Presently, the reserve fund has just over $2.2M, and by the end of 2024, it will be up to $2.5M.”
Heffer explained that bids for the irrigation system alone from two and a half years ago came back at $3.2M. This did not include any additional projects on the course.
Heffer said they listened to the General Manager, waited for prices to lower, and used creative planning. “Our total cost, which we are asking for out of the reserve fund, to do the entire irrigation, bunker, cart path rehab, and building new forward tees, is $1.7M. We ask the Board to approve using the Balboa Reserve Fund to complete this project.”
Balboa Golf Course renovation proposal
Director of Golf Operations Tami Jones presented the PowerPoint slideshow. Jones obtained a discount of $212,885 on the Toro Irrigation System and said that POA staff would perform the labor with Toro’s on-site guidance.
Jones said the Billy Bunker System has been “quite successful at Isabella.” Installing 48 bunkers will cost $160,951.41 using in-house talent.
Heffer said that a contractor-installed Billy Bunker System cost over $1.2M a couple of years ago.
Using a contractor, the 1.5-inch thick Cart Path Asphalt Overlay will cost $260,000.
“We are looking at building five or six new forward tees, which will run $14,950,” stated Jones.
“The course is 41 years old. it needs attention, and it is going to get it. It will get the world-class treatment that it deserves, making it one of the premier courses and clubhouses within the community. We’re going to do it in-house. Everybody wants to know how we are doing all these things and paying cash for them. It is because we finally bought the tools and equipment and hired some people to allow us to do these things – not only with golf but also with public works and park and recreation,” stated Hale.
Hale said it took two years of back-and-forth negotiations with Toro. “My super negotiator here [Tami Jones] amazes me. She makes me look non-frugal.”
Hale said that everyone who wants to tell them about everything the POA is doing wrong should look at everything they are doing right.
Balboa Clubhouse renovation proposal
Ginger George presented the proposed renovation for the Balboa Club House. George explained that the Balboa Club restaurant opened a year after the golf course, in 1988. There have been no improvements to the kitchen or restaurant. George said, “The upstairs has been non-operational since 2013. There was a portion of time in 2022 that they opened a small section for dining, but for the most part, the upstairs has not been used since 2013.”
George said there have been ongoing discussions regarding the clubhouse since 2007. “It seems, for the most part, most of the focus was on tearing down the building and starting over. The expense of demolishing the building at this point would exceed the cost of the proposed renovation plan.”
Hale said demolition would cost around $600,000. Renovating the upstairs restaurant, bar, kitchen, lobby area, deck, bathrooms, and exterior will cost around $215,154.62, much less than tearing down the building.
George stated that the Balboa Clubhouse comprises 21,000 square feet.
The restaurant and bar area’s proposed improvements include LVT flooring, paint, and sheetrock repair, restoration of the DeSoto Club’s 19th-hole bar, and building a new back bar, new bar equipment, new dining furniture, high-top tables, booths and barstools, televisions, replacement of six windows, and new light fixtures.
The restaurant will seat up to 106 patrons.
The kitchen will require an ice maker, range, reach-in cooler, walk-in cooler repair, hot water heater, and deep cleaning.
Balboa has two walk-in coolers and one walk-in freezer.
The lobby/deck area needs new LVT flooring, indoor and outdoor furniture, and lighting.
In two bathrooms, it is proposed to install new LVT flooring, paint and add crown molding, install new countertops, sinks, and faucets, replace the ceiling tiles, repair the plumbing, and install new mirrors and lighting.
Superintendent of Buildings and Fleet Mike Sykora presented the Balboa Clubhouse exterior repair plan. Sykora said golf balls have damaged the fascia. In addition to repairing damaged EIFS and installing new EIFS and sheathing on the north side area, the building will be pressure washed and painted.
Sykora stated, “My crew, with the volunteers we are looking for, will rent a crane, powerwash, and paint the rest of the building to match the new EIFS area.”
“Knowing we can do a lot of this [work] in-house will save us a tremendous amount of money,” expressed Sykora.
Hale said he found a past presentation in which it was planned to raze the Balboa Clubhouse. At that time, the cost of the Balboa Renovation was around $8.5M.
George said, “In conclusion, renovations of Balboa Clubhouse are not merely an investment in brick and mortar. They are an investment in our community and our members.”
Golf surplus fee – going forward
Board Vice-Chair Larry Siener asked the General Manager what he expects for the [Balboa] golf surplus fee going forward.
Hale answered, “Both projects, building and the golf course…for a combined project is $1.9M – $1,941,698.90 to complete the entire project. We currently have $2.2M in the golf reserve fund. We estimate that by the end of the year, that number will be $2.5 or $2.6M. With this project being done, that should leave us with $500,000 to $600,000 left over. That will allow us to do the bunker projects at Magellan and Ponce over a two-year period. I also included a 4% inflationary on both of those.” The golf reserve fund will allow us to renovate Balboa Clubhouse and three courses. “The majority is being done in-house.”
Hale added that the downstairs of the Balboa Club has already been finished using in-house and volunteer talent.
Hale said, “This project needs to be completed. If we don’t move now, we will lose an asset.”
Siener asked about the future of the Golf Reserve Fund.
“Here is my opinion of the Golf Reserve, and I’ve said this since day one; I am sure there was a point in time that we as a community had to earmark money to make sure that we did the right things for the right time. If my team and I have not proven to the community that we’re very responsible with the money and have a plan to fix the things that need to be fixed and do them in priority order…At the end of the day, you look at the bottom of the receipt; the total doesn’t change. Are we going to take $2.50 less off of playing golf? No! It is the price of what it costs.”
Hale said that assessments and golf fees were artificially low in the past because the developer was trying to attract people to move here. You can’t run a community on $36 [assessments] a month or $12 golf or even $20 or $30.
People who come here from other places remark about how inexpensive golf in the Village is. “At the end of the day, electricity, chemicals, and labor go up yearly. We can be foolish and ignore it and become victims again, or get our heads out of the sand for the first time in a long time and move forward as a community. This is where we are,” said Hale.
Anticipated completion time
Board Director Mark Quinton inquired about the course and restaurant renovation time frame and who will staff and run the new restaurant.
George said having the restaurant open by Labor Day [2024] would be ideal. “We are not pursuing a vendor until we get to the end stages of renovation. It would be difficult for a vendor to envision what it will be. There will be a new vendor who will go into that location.”
Jones said the golf course renovation would take 8.5 months. The course is anticipated to close in October or November of 2024.
By Cheryl Dowden
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There is a line in this article about the DeSoto club 19th hole. Is that a mistake. Did you mean Balboa 19th hole? Please explain cuz we want th DeSoto 19th hole open again.
Hello Peg, I relistened to the recording. Ginger George said, “We want to restore the bar from the 19th hole at the old DeSoto Club, and I’ll get into more of that in just a bit.”…”You may recognize this bar. Some may. This is the bar from the DeSoto Club’s 19th hole that we want to restore. We want to add some panels…”
Mr Hale, you have not even come close to the money that it was going to cost to do the club house. You state 8.5 million toward the renovation. Wrong. Not sure where you are obtaining your info. I have the entire plan for renovation. There was a 500k plan to paint and fix up things. There was a 1.15 m dollar plan to completely renovate the entire building interior. Making all bathrooms AHDV and more bathroom space upstairs and downstairs. New kitchen. New eatery and lounge. There was also a 2.5 million dollar upgrade that went full renovation. Upper decks for eating. Complete window change with low e glass. Elevator for travel handicap. And much more. An architectural firm I’ve done years of business with were the original architects for the club. We/I have a complete turn key take off for the entire project. It was done via an adhoc committee. Which was turned down and disbanded by Twiggs. The building has a great footprint and would not recommend its removal. That would just be throwing money away. Please let me know if someone wants my paperwork for the proposal. It’s already been given to the board two times. Tucker was the last to receive it.
Respectfully
Dan Fitzgerald
Hi Dan. The renovation that was approved is for both the clubhouse and the course. Renovation of the clubhouse is much less than the renovation for the golf course. The past proposals I have access to, add up to around $7M for both the clubhouse and course in 2019. These were proposals made in a board meeting. I am looking at a proposal under L.N. Subsequently, there was also a proposal presented by John Paul at a Board Retreat. I would love to see your proposal, if you don’t mind. My email address is hsvgazette@gmail.com. Thanks so much for your help. – Cheryl
I didn’t see anywhere that the expected funds for renovating the building was coming from.
Heffer said, “Back in 2020, the Board of Directors created a Balboa Reserve Fund. Presently, the reserve fund has just over $2.2M, and by the end of 2024, it will be up to $2.5M.”
“Our total cost, which we are asking for out of the reserve fund, to do the entire irrigation, bunker, cart path rehab, and building new forward tees, is $1.7M. We ask the Board to approve using the Balboa Reserve Fund to complete this project.”